We Hold These Truths
by MackenzieW
Summary: AU. Instead of Adam, the Doctor and Rose pick up a young UNIT agent named Charlotte. However, after a fight with Martha, she leaves the Tardis. When strange things start happening around her, she finds herself reunited with the Doctor to save America.
1. Prologue: A Leap of Faith

**We Hold These Truths**

**MackenzieW**

Disclaimer: Standard application. I, Mackenzie W, do not own Doctor Who, nor the characters portrayed therein. I also do not own America's Next Top Model, Tyra Banks, or The Weakest Link. I do own Charlotte Martin and her little circle.

* * *

Prologue: A Leap of Faith

Ever made a leap of faith?

You know, a leap from the certain. A leap into the abyss of uncertainty, of mystery, of all that could be, of not knowing what awaits around the corner. A leap into what could either be the greatest adventure of your life or a leap to your doom.

I met the Doctor. I took that leap. And it was fantastic.

There were three of us: the Doctor, Rose and I. And we were running across time and space together. We saw many things on our trek as well. We met Captain Jack Harkness. We helped people together. And then we ended up on the Game Station, playing a dangerous game…

_"Name?"_

_"Pardon?" I asked. A tall lady robot stood in front of me, tapping a pencil against a clipboard._

_"American…Are you Charlotte Martin?"_

_"Yes, I am but…what's going on?" I was confused. I was on the Tardis with the Doctor, Jack and Rose just a few minutes ago. I was teasing them about watching Titanic with a real life Jack and Rose when a bright light flashed inside the ship. Did it bring me here? _

_"Go on in then," the robot said, pushing me in front of a robot that looked like…Tyra Banks?_

_"Charlotte," Tyra-bot said, "welcome to America's Next Top Model. We will now take photos and make our first cut based on that photo. SMILE!"_

_A light blinded me. I blinked a few times, tiny dots dancing before my eyes. I noticed I was next to twelve other girls, all who are quite nervous. Tyra-bot went through our photographs and I was called up with another girl named Sara. "Sara and Charlotte, all these photos were bad but yours were the worse. But we feel one of you has more model potential than the other. Charlotte, you are one step closer to being…"_

_Sara's cry drowned out the rest. "I'm sorry, Sara," Tyra-bot said. And then a laser hit Sara. _

_And then that's when I knew it was serious. _

I eventually busted out of America's Next Top Hellhole. Feeling a bit guilty, I turned and clocked the poor girl next to me. Several crew members, who had previously hid in the shadows, rushed forward to subdue me. Tyra-bot was rolled out of the way—my moment. They had accidentally disabled her laser and using my government training, I twisted out the grip's tight hold. I punched several other crew members who came forward, sliding under the door Indy-style before they could lock it up. I was bruised and had a bloody lip from when the camera guy tried to stop me and caused me to trip into the camera. And that's how a complete nude Jack found me a few minutes later. Not much complaining from my end, though we did get him clothed quickly. The Doctor found us as we both realized where we were.

_"I've been here," the Doctor said. "You have too."_

_I looked around and remembered my first trip with the Doctor and Rose. "Satellite Five," I said. "How long after we were here?"_

_"A century or more, I guess," the Doctor said. "Lynda with a y would probably know."_

_"Lynda with a y?" I asked, but the Doctor was looking us over._

_"Where's Rose?"_

_"I don't know. She wasn't with me," I said. _

_"Wasn't with me either," Jack replied. "Pity, though. I wouldn't mind having two real women ogle me." I hit him. "Oww. Sorry."_

_"We need to find Rose," the Doctor said. "Split up! Oh, and Jack?"_

_"Yes?"_

_"Get Charlotte a first aid kit!" _

We did and we all knew what was at stake—if Rose lost at whatever show she was on, she was gone. With Lynda's help, we eventually found her playing The Weakest Link. We tried to save her, but she was voted the weakest link and was zapped. The despair all of us felt engulfed everyone, including Lynda. She became uncomfortable in the gloom Jack, Rose and I got used to as the Doctor's angst—the guilt over being the last of his race.

Rose was safe though—for the time being. Those who lost or were eliminated weren't killed, merely transported to another place. She ended up on a Dalek war ship, there were millions of them. I met the Doctor and Rose fighting one, I couldn't imagine fighting all of them. The Doctor promised to rescue Rose which he did. Jack and I helped Lynda try to hold off the other Daleks, try to warn earth, but it was to no avail. And then the Doctor did something quite stupid—he tried to send Rose away.

_"Doctor, the Daleks are pushing in and we haven't heard back from Jack yet," I said, running into the Tardis. He was leaning over the console, looking torn, sad. He seemed to be shrinking into his black leather jacket. "Doctor?"_

_"It's no use. There's no stopping the Daleks without sacrificing ourselves," he said. "It's the Time War all over again." He looked up at me. "I need to get Rose. You stay here."_

_"Doctor, what are you doing?" I asked, not really paying attention. I was holding my gun, looking through my bag for my charger. It was laser, a high end product that only UNIT agents were allowed to carry. _

_He put a hand on my shoulder. "I promised Jackie I would bring Rose home safely," he said simply. I hadn't meet the infamous Jackie Tyler but I didn't doubt her wrath if her only child died. "I'm initiating Emergency Program One. The Tardis will bring the two of you back to 2006. I tried programming another trip to 2012, but I don't think it'll work." _

_I nodded, understanding. The Doctor was going to sacrifice himself, saving Rose and I with the Tardis. "I'll survive. I've got psychic paper. I can make it back to 2012."_

_"I know. I want you to watch over Rose though for me. She's a tough girl, but I would feel better knowing I was entrusting her to someone I trust." I nod, slightly choked up. This was one of the last times I would see the Doctor and he was telling me he trusted me. "I'm going to get her." And then he left. _

I still wish I had said a proper good-bye to him at that point, or when he sent us away later. I was in shock and didn't know that it really would be one of the last times I saw that face. The one with the eyes that seem to see right down to your soul, the large ears that could hear everything and the grin that Rose and I loved to see on his face. We ended up back in London 2006, and I met Jackie and Mickey Smith. They were kind enough, but I was more concerned about Rose. It was then I learnt one thing about my new friend:

You never say "no" to Rose Tyler.

Jackie had come to find me, to tell me that Rose was going back. Jackie realized there was no stopping her daughter and we climbed into a tow truck she had borrowed. _"Look, I don't know you that well," she said, "and I'm not going to say I trust you. But you're the only other one besides my Rose who knows what's going on. If she does succeed in going back, you should go with her." _Mickey used the tow truck, getting the Tardis opened. Rose and I walked back into the ship we called home, willing it to move. I went in search for an instruction manual of some sort when Rose opened the Time Vortex. I returned to the bridge as Bad Wolf was born. As the doors slammed shut, I was thrown back against the console as the Tardis began to move. The golden goddess and I returned to Satellite Five, where Rose single-handedly defeated the Daleks. The look on the Doctor's face was a mixture of shock, disbelief and pride. _"I thought I told you to watch her!" he yelled at me, over the destruction of his foes. _

_"I was…she did this the one time my eyes were diverted," I explained. "Besides, you know how stubborn she is."_

_"That she is," he laughed. "That she is."_ He walked over to her and she never looked more radiant. It was a beautiful sight—too bad she was dying. I didn't realize that until later, inside the Tardis, when it was too late. He kissed her and the three of us left in the Tardis.

And then our Doctor became a stranger.

I still miss the broody man who picked me up in Utah. But the new Doctor grew on me. From the minute he burst out of the Tardis and started questioning us about his new appearance. I had made up my mind as we crashed landed in the Powell Estates that I wasn't going to travel with this new Doctor. Once he was better, I would ask him to take me home. I did go home, but only to celebrate Christmas with my father in 2012. "It only seems right," he said. "I've met Jackie Tyler. Time to meet Allan Martin."

He gave me the option to stay. But like Rose, I took his hand and followed him again.

Rose and I bonded more as we continued traveling. Two women, one human-looking male—it could've turned sour quickly. Rose and I were opposite enough to not feel threatened but similar enough to be friends. Besides, I never really viewed the Doctor as a romantic interest and could plainly see he cared for Rose. And Rose was certain she was going to be with the Doctor for a long time. She even made him promise he wouldn't leave her, especially after we met Sarah Jane. But Rose wasn't as certain as she seemed to be.

_"Charlotte, can I talk to you for a bit?" she asked me, coming into my room. I was lying down, in my pajamas and reading. _

_"Sure," I replied, sitting up. "Where's Mickey?"_

_"Dunno, don't really care," Rose said. I decided to drop it—she hadn't been too thrilled to bring her ex-boyfriend along on the trips. And then there was the panic we just had on the space ship. "I was scared. About being stuck on the ship."_

_"Rose, the Doctor taught me how to use Emergency Program One," I said. "We weren't stuck."_

_"No, but could you really go on with your regular life if you had to use it?" she asked. I had to admit I couldn't; I wasn't ready to leave the Tardis just yet. Mickey had been scared to be stuck there, we had been scared our adventures were over. "I want you to promise me something."_

_"What?"_

_"I was thinking while the Doctor was gone," Rose said. "Promise me that if anything happens, you'll take care of the Doctor."_

_"Rose! Don't talk like that. Nothing's going to happen. I'll probably leave before you do."_

_"Charlotte, please, I just have this feeling. Please, please, promise me you won't leave the Doctor until you're certain he'll be okay," Rose pleaded. _

_"Despite the fact I think you're being melodramatic," I said, taking her hand, "I promise."_

_"Thank you."_

That conversation would haunt me after Canary Wharf, when the Doctor and I lost our best friend. The only consolation I had was that Rose was safe in the parallel world, with her mom and Mickey. And that she would be able to have a relationship with her father now. The Tardis seemed emptier now that it was just the Doctor and I, though we didn't have too much time to mope around. Donna Noble ended up on our ship and we were thrown into a mystery.

Donna was a bridezilla but, as annoying as she was, the two of us warmed up to her. Even if we had to spontaneously create Tardis Rule 16—no throwing anyone, especially annoying brides, into a black hole—just to prevent killing her. I think we grew on her too. She came to care for the Doctor and me. If she had become the new companion, I wouldn't have minded. She echoed Rose's words as we left her on the snow covered street outside her parents' house: "Take care of him, Charlotte, will you?"

_"Oh, she's being taking very good care of me since Rose…left," Doctor said, slightly choked at the last. But he turned and smiled at me. I knew everything would be fine. _

It was after that the Doctor suspected something bizarre happening in a London hospital. He checked himself in as a patient as I played the role of concerned friend. We had argued for a good amount of time over who I was supposed to be. We had ruled out husband and wife pretty quickly but were stuck between girlfriend, best friend or sister. Best friend had won just as we reached the hospital doors.

It was there we met Martha Jones.

One trip. That's all, the Doctor said. One trip. Then it was one trip to the past, one trip to the future. Once we ended up in 1930s New York, I knew Martha was the new kid on the Tardis. We never got friendly with each other, just civil. Maybe I was to blame, maybe she was. I'll never know. I knew that it would be tense when we were in New New York again and she seemed miffed that we had been here previously with Rose. She seemed jealous of Rose. I was still protective of my friend, even if she wasn't in any danger. And then she did something Rose and I had never done—she pretty much forced the Doctor to tell her about Gallifrey. There was an unspoken agreement between the two of us that we would let the Doctor tell us about his planet and his people when he was ready. Martha didn't seem to hold the same opinion.

Martha and I clashed often after that. She acted like she was superior because the Doctor had chosen her to travel with him, as if I was some baggage he was forced to carry around. The Doctor and I always tried to have some personal time, reminiscing about past adventures, remembering Rose, discussing future trips or talking about my parents. Martha always appeared, trying to insert herself into the conversations. She succeeded often.

Finally, I had had enough. We had the fight to end all fights. The Doctor looked lost—Rose and I had gotten along so well, he didn't know what to do now that Martha and I didn't. Emotions ran high, it was tense. Martha and I yelled some awful things at each other and finally, I said the three words I never thought I would say: "Take me home."

I walked off to pack up my belongings so I didn't see their faces. I don't remember how I got my bags in order, but I was soon marching back towards New York City in 2013. The Doctor didn't try to talk me out of it and without a second glance, I walked out. It wasn't until a week later, when the forecast called for rain, that I realized I left my umbrella on board. Oh well, maybe it would serve as a reminder to him and Martha.

And thus my run across the universe ended. And I can't help but wonder if it may have ended too soon.


	2. Love's Labour Lost

Chapter 2: Love's Labour Lost

"Dad, have you seen my laptop?" I asked, trying to hook my necklace again. I ran through our apartment, trying to locate the missing appliance.

"It's on the kitchen table, Charlotte," he replied, coming out of his makeshift library.

"Dad, please tell me you didn't sleep in your armchair last night," I said, taking in his appearance. His shirt was wrinkled as were his pants. His grey hair was sticking up in all direction and he was rubbing his neck. He looked guilty. "You did. I told you it's not good for your back."

"When did you get old enough to boss me around?" he teased, stretching out. "I'll be fine. You need to get to work."

"I know." I tried to shove my laptop in my bag. "Ugh, it was so much easier when I didn't have to carry this thing around!" I threw on my coat, gave Dad a peck on the cheek and left the apartment.

I rushed downstairs to catch the subway. I looked towards the Empire State Building. It stood proudly against the blue sky, a testament to the many men who helped build the skyscraper. No one knew about the building's true purpose, about the Daleks and their plan to turn us all into a hybrid form of them. After returning to New York, I decided to find out what became of Tallulah and Lazlo. I found a marriage license and rumors of a pig-man in many rags of the times, but I could guess they had had a happy life. Tallulah died three years ago, Lazlo shortly after.

I ran up the East Side block that the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce was located on. It had been the perfect job to have when traveling with the Doctor—he had had dealings with them years prior. They were more than willing to let me go and now I was writing briefs about some of our activities.

I wanted to put my adventures with the Doctor behind me, move on into the future. It's what he was always telling Rose and me. "Have a good life," he's said at many times. But with the briefs and co-workers wanting to know more about my travels, it was always being brought up. At least at home, with Dad, I could pretend to be normal. I knew Dad was waiting to ask me, but playing like we did with the Doctor—waiting until I want to talk.

I dug through my bag, trying to find my building ID. I prayed I hadn't forgotten it. I usually didn't leave the house until I was certain it was in my bag, but worrying about my laptop caused me to forget to check. I kept digging when I got a feeling in the pit of my stomach. It felt like I swallowed a lump. I looked up, seeing a flash of gray in an alleyway. I approached the area carefully, trying to not make a sound. A potted plant was knocked from a nearby window and I watched it tumble.

It revolved in three loops. I was able to see each turn the pot made, each piece of dirt that flew out of the container. I could even see each drop of water come down and splash on the trash can. It finally reached the ground, breaking into several clay pieces that I was able to count. Pink petals soared into the air before settling back down.

"Charlotte!" someone yelled. My ears popped; I heard cars honking. My head hurt as if someone had snapped a rubber band at me.

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Matt, one of my coworkers asked. I looked over at him and then back at the broken plant. "Char?"

"What?" I asked, blinking a few times.

"Is everything okay? I've been calling you. What's the matter?"

"Did you just experience something weird?" I asked.

"Well, there is the matter of you not answering me."

"No, something weird with time," I elaborated, dropping my voice down. He looked at me. "That potted plant just fell from a third floor window. I watched everything happen slow-mo like."

"Charlotte, did you have breakfast today?"

"What? I had some orange juice but it's not a sugar…"

"No, no, no. I've told you, no one can afford to skip breakfast. Come on, I'll get you some," Matt said, clutching my arm.

Matt was a sweetheart. In a way, he reminded me of Mickey. He wasn't a computer genius—he pretty much was only a master of Microsoft's Office programs. However, he was one of UNIT's best snipers, a deadly shot. But he was my boyfriend and we had a relationship I had put on hold when I entered the Tardis. He even gave the Doctor the same looks Mickey often gave him. If he only knew about Jack…Rose and I would giggle about it. But while Rose's relationship with Mickey slowly cooled into a friendship, mine with Matt's was just growing hot again. Dad predicted a proposal any day now.

I often wondered if I would let the Doctor bring Matt on our adventures. Perhaps my first Doctor, but not the current one. He showed the same animosity towards Matt that my first Doctor showed toward Mickey. I didn't understand why nor could I get a straight answer out of the Doctor when I asked. I eventually let the subject drop. I'd never know now.

* * *

Matt took me out to lunch that day as well. "I was thinking we could go see a movie tonight," he said as we waited for our food. I didn't answer, sipping my water. Matt and I hadn't really gone on a date since I got back. I felt awkward being in an intimate setting with him, probably because flashes of my brief time with Jack usually overtook my mind. "We haven't gone since you've gotten back and I know there's a new Jane Austen adaptation you would love to see. Or did you…never mind."

"No, did I what?

"I said never mind."

"Did I meet her? Was that what you were going to ask? No, I didn't meet Jane Austen," I said, tensely. "You can ask me, Matt. I don't want to hide it from you."

"But you won't just talk about it. That's confusing me and your father," Matt said. I squirmed a bit in my seat, trying to see if I could pull off a trip to the ladies' room diversion tactic. "We just want to know what we can and cannot discuss with you."

I sighed, giving in. "I'm not ready to just start talking about it," I explained. "Honestly, I'm sick and tired of explaining everything in my reports to the brass. When I am, you and Dad will be the first to hear it. Until then, though, don't be afraid to ask questions. Just don't bombard me, okay?" Or ask about Jack, I added silently. I couldn't tell him that just yet. He had looked so relieved when I promised him the Doctor was not interested in me in any romantic way, how could I tell him I let some sweet-talking conman romance me for some time?

Matt looked crestfallen for a bit. I wondered if I had picked up the Doctor's habit of bottling everything up but my boyfriend's voice broke my introspection. "Okay, I can deal with that. So, can we?"

"Can we what?"

"Charlotte!" Matt sounded exasperated. "See a movie!"

"Oh. Well, I don't know…I…" I was searching for an excuse. Going to the movies seemed so mundane. Before I had met the Doctor, I would go to the movies to escape my reality, to go on adventures. But now I had been on my own adventures. What did I need movies for?

"Charlotte, please," he pleaded. "I just want to go on a date that isn't me taking you out to eat or a stolen moment in the elevator."

I caved. He made our relationship sound like it did with Jack. It was nothing like Jack. I smiled as Matt's face brightened. Maybe going on a movie date would be a step in the right direction. I needed to start living again.

* * *

"Dad! Dad, will you be alright tonight?" I asked, hopping down the darkened hallway trying to put on my right shoe. It finally slipped on as I reached the living room. My father was sitting in his favorite chair, worn down from years of loving use. He was flipping through his students' essays, shaking his head. "Dad!" He looked up, scrutinizing my skirt and shirt.

"You look fine," he said.

"Great. I didn't ask that. Will you be alright?"

Dad chuckled. "Charlotte, I took care of myself and you for over ten years. And I did so when you were away with the Doctor. I think I can survive for a night." He gave me a hug. "Go and have fun with Matt."

The yellow cab pulled to the curb. "Thank you," I said as Matt helped me out of the cab. I was surprised to see we were on 42nd Street. Why would Matt take me to the movie theater here rather than one closer to either our apartment in Morningside Heights or his in Gramercy Park? _Perhaps this is the only one playing the movie_, I thought. I started walking towards the movie theater when Matt called out to me. I turned around.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

My forehead wrinkled. "To the movie theater. We are going to see a movie, right?"

Matt laughed, encircling his arms around my waist. "We were, but the strangest thing happened. After that false alarm in Harlem, I came back to find tickets on my desk. A note said I had won them in an office pool. Someone must've added my name. So I figured I'd surprise you with these instead!"

While I loved my boyfriend, there were sometimes he was a little dense. Especially for a government agent who dealt with aliens on a daily basis. The tickets may not have made him suspicious, but they gave me an uneasy feeling. I looked up at the giant marquis of the American Airlines Theater: _William Shakespeare's Love's Labour Lost._

My breath hitched. I was now certain that those tickets were not a coincidence. I looked at Matt's smiling face, though, and didn't have the heart to tell him not to go. I smiled and lied. I said I was thrilled and couldn't wait to see the show. As we settled in their seats (amazing ones at that—center orchestra, five rows from the stage), I thought of the last time I had seen "Love's Labour Lost."

_"Author! Author!" Martha screamed, jumping up and down. She turned to the Doctor and me. "Do they yell that in these days?"_

_"Well, Shakespeare most likely was one of the characters himself, so…" I was interrupted as others in the crowd echoed Martha's cries._

_"Now they do," the Doctor responded as Shakespeare emerged to great cheers. Martha and I laughed. _

_"Dad's going to freak when he hears about this!" I yelled over the crowd. _

_"Why?" Martha asked. _

_"My dad's a professor of literature at Columbia. He'd love to be here and actually talk to Shakespeare himself," I explained. I was warming up to the medical student. Perhaps the Doctor would rethink his "no new companion" edict and let Martha stay aboard. _

_"Come back tomorrow night for Love's Labour Won!" Shakespeare announced to more cheers. The Doctor's and my heads snapped up at that. _

_"I've never heard of that play," Martha said, confused. _

_"It doesn't exist," I said. "One of dad's colleagues has spent his entire career trying to prove that it did exist with the other so-called lost plays." _

_"Well, looks like Love's Labour Won is going to be the Globe's newest play," the Doctor said. "Why don't we stick around to see it?" Martha and I agreed enthusiastically. "Brilliant! Okay, now to find some lodging. It's late."_

_I drew my coat closer. "You know what, it is late," I said. "It's off."_

_"What do you mean by that?" Martha asked. _

_"Theater in Shakespeare's day wouldn't have been done at night. They would've needed to use the sunlight. This is creepy."_

_"Maybe it's a special event the historians didn't know about," Martha suggested. "Right, Doctor?"_

_But even the Doctor was contemplating how bizarre the situation was, but he wasn't ready to say anything. "Right then, let's go find some place to sleep for the night."_

_"Why not the Tardis?" Martha asked._

_"The Tardis? No, much more interesting to stay with the locals. Really absorb being in a different place. Come on." With that, the Doctor led us two women out of the Globe Theater. _

Pressure on my hand jarred me from my memory. I looked up to see Matt staring at me. "What?"

"Are you okay? I've been talking for about five minutes and you weren't listening. Nor have you opened your Playbill. You love to read those," he said, concerned.

"Sorry," I said, smiling. "I was thinking…I met Shakespeare, did I ever tell you that?" Matt shook his head. "Well, I did. I was remembering that." Matt smiled. He was probably glad I was opening up more about my travels with the Doctor. I was just glad I was remembering Shakespeare and not Jack.

It was painful to remember a time when I thought I could be friends with Martha. I had wanted to be, but I had a feeling it wasn't going to work out that very trip. _"Rose would've said the perfect thing to explain this situation," the Doctor mused, staring at the ceiling. _

_"Yeah," I agreed, smiling. I looked over, noticing the hurt in Martha's eyes. "But I'm sure Martha will help us figure this out. Fresh eyes, fresh mind you know," I amended quickly. The Doctor didn't say anything and Martha rolled over. I sighed, plopping down on the pillow. I hoped Martha would have a clue over what was happening because I didn't. _

I should've seen the jealousy then. Squashed it then. But could I have told Martha she was much better than Rose? No, no I couldn't have. And I don't think Martha wanted to hear that. Martha wanted to be the Doctor's only person, I felt. She made that clear when we returned to the Tardis after running from Queen Elizabeth's guards. _"Is there a British queen you haven't pissed off?" I asked the Doctor, panting. _

_"Sure. I'm on very good grounds with Elizabeth the Second," he answered, putting the Tardis into flight. "Where to next?"_

_"Why'd you grab her hand and not mine?" Martha asked, arms crossed. The Doctor and I looked at each other. "I mean, we were running for our lives! I'm not used to that." _

_The Doctor shrugged. "She was closer," he answered. "Habit mostly, too. Charlotte's been here longer. In a way, she outdates me on this ship." I laugh at the Doctor's reference to his regeneration. Martha shot me a look, as if I were baggage the Doctor was forced to carry. _

I had never worried about being baggage to the Doctor, forced on him because the old one left me behind. But it was a nagging thought throughout the rest of my time on the Tardis. But I shook it off as the lights went down and the show started.

* * *

"Now, that was good!" Matt said, pulling me down the block. I laughed, trying to keep up. "I didn't think I would ever say I came out of a Shakespeare play and say I like it, but man, I really liked that!"

"I may convert you yet," I said, laughing.

"Convert me to what?"

"The Cult of the Bard of Stratford-Upon-Avon."

"There's a cult?"

"Yes. We have a secret handshake and jackets."

"Hmm, sounds like the dark side."

"Come to the dark side! We have cookies!"

"Hey, Charlotte, 2007 called. It wants its joke back."

"Oh like that isn't old."

"It's classic. You can't mess with the classics."

"And the dark side joke isn't?" I collapsed into a giggling heap as Matt started tickling me. "Not fair! Not fair! You can't win a debate by tickling your opponent!" I gasped out.

Matt eventually ended his attack, helping me to stand. He took me to a nearby ice cream place, offering to buy me a chocolate sundae. "What's the occasion?"

"We're having our first real date since you came back," Matt said. "Reason enough for ice cream. I'm going to run to the men's room. You'll be okay for a bit?"

"I don't know," I said, leaning forward. "Some guy may walk in and sweep me off my feet." Wrong thing to say. My stomach pummeled down in guilt. Matt didn't notice.

"Ha," he said, kissing me. "I'll be back."

I sat back in the booth, staring out the window. Manhattan was so beautiful at night, I had to admit. There were even times when my night sky was the universe that I wished I was back here, staring at the skyline from my balcony. The cars waiting at the light were just two headlights shining in the darkness. It looked like dancing lights were entertaining me. A person across the street caught my eye. Strange in a city of millions (not including the tourists who poured in from around the world), I would notice this one man standing in a bus shelter. He had brown hair and was wearing a suit under his brown trench coat, converse sneakers neatly tied. I gasped, moving closer to the window. Was that the…?

"What are you looking at?" Matt asked, coming back. I turned to face him for a second before looking back out the window. The man was gone. "Charlotte?"

"I thought I saw…" I couldn't finish the sentence. Had I really seen the Doctor?

* * *

A/N: Well, here goes my first foray into Doctor Who! I hope you enjoy it. Don't hesitate to ask any questions! I love to answer them and often, they make me think about things that hadn't occurred to me before. A big thank you to Araiona Dubois who has read a few drafts of this story and gave me help. Mac.


	3. Killing Me Softly

Disclaimer: Once again, I don't own the Doctor, Rose, Martha, UNIT, the Daleks, Tolcafane or anything associated with the Whoniverse. Nor do I own World of Warcraft.

* * *

Chapter 2: Killing Me Softly.

The days following the date were busy. False alarms were being raised across all five boroughs. Matt and I even were sent on a detail out to Massachusetts, one of the farthest we've ever been called to investigate. Usually the Boston branch handled New England and each UNIT branch was very territorial. Wars have almost started over who had jurisdiction over Connecticut—us or them.

I leaned back in one of UNIT's private jets. It was an old Air Force plane that had been retired and refurbished. Practical in case we ever were attacked by aliens while onboard—the missiles were still useable. Matt was sent with me; the Boston bureau hadn't been too forthcoming about the mission so my supervisor of the day decided to send a sniper with me just in case. Matt volunteered immediately, probably hoping it would be a false alarm and we could have a romantic getaway in Boston on company time. Unfortunately, my supervisor of the day also decided that the tech support in Boston was lacking (because MIT didn't have a whole fellowship program with UNIT) and sent one of our own geeks with us.

It was quite awkward—my boyfriend and I sitting there while the Geek babbled on about World of Warcraft 6, something about intergalactic neighbors and bodes, just released. I wished I had brought something to read besides the case file (which was three sentences: Boston bureau called. Requested Agent Charlotte Martin. Brass has cleared her for field duty) and that my music player's battery hadn't died on the commute to work this morning. Thankfully, the flight was a short one and we were soon in Boston, meeting with an agent named Flaherty. "I didn't realize New York field agents need their own entourage," he said, a hint of an Irish brogue in his voice. He was American-born, I could tell, but it sounded like one of his parents had emigrated from Ireland.

"No, not usually," I replied. "However, your bureau didn't really go into detail about what you needed. So, they sent me with some help."

"We just needed you," Flaherty said.

"Yeah, why did you request me?"

"You were the one sent to cover that nut job van Statten in Utah? We have something that would've been right up his alley. You'd know."

I nodded and Flaherty rushed me, Matt and the Geek into a nearby van. The Geek began blogging or hijacking some Chinese's computer or whatever he did on his laptop as Matt began an intense debate over the better basketball team: Celts or Knicks. I was able to lean back as the memory of my first meeting with the Doctor and Rose drifted over me.

Henry van Statten had come to the attention of UNIT shortly after I started working for the agency. He was fanatical—collecting every trace of alien existence possible, creating a museum for it in Utah. People were flocking to him, willing to believe after the events of Christmases past in England. Christmases I didn't know I would be involved with when I was sent out to monitor van Statten's activity. The nearest UNIT bureau had had enough clashes with the millionaire so he would know anyone involved. That's why the sent me—a young, unassuming woman with a background in both political science and history. I was welcomed to the fold, but suspicions followed me. But van Statten was suspicious of everyone. As I walked through the museums, I saw alien species I had only read about in UNIT files. Alien species I would soon become more intimately acquainted with.

That was where I first met a Dalek. And then the adventure of my life began.

* * *

_"Charlie? Charlie?" It took me a few minutes to remember that it was my cover name. I had never really had a nickname in my life. Both Mom and Dad preferred to call me by my full name. Charlotte was their favorite Brontë sister. _

_"Yes?" I asked, as some random assistant ran by. It was hard to remember everyone's name due to the turnover under van Statten. _

_"Someone just appeared in the main museum. Security is on their way and van Statten is in a snit," the assistant said. "We've all been called. Oh, and he's on the warpath now, you know."_

_I sighed. Henry van Statten believed he controlled everything, including the government. Top officials at Headquarters in Washington made sure to keep the illusion up. He liked to change the president every week, thinking the American public wouldn't notice or mind. What he didn't know was that his new "president," was just a new UNIT or FBI agent posing for his sake. President Fenton, running for re-election, was still in the Oval Office the entire time. "What does he want us to do?" I asked, shrugging on my jacket. _

_"The usual. Stand there so he can yell at us," the other girl said, smiling. "Come on, the sooner this is over, the sooner we can get some Tylenol." _

_I laughed and followed her to the museum. The collection van Statten had scared me a bit, especially the skin of a reptilian species who were supposedly more advanced than humans. All of these species were supposed to be far advanced, yet why did they choose our little planet to always visit? I was once again pondering this when I first saw him—a tall man with big ears in a dark leather jacket, speaking in a clear Northern English accent. Next to him stood a blonde young woman, no more than a few years my junior, also with a British accent—but more of an East End one. I learned their names were the Doctor and Rose._

* * *

The van stopped, jarring me from my memory. Matt and Flaherty got out first before letting the Geek out next. I was the last out, which I wasn't too upset about. If this was something that would've ended up in van Statten's collection, I had probably run into it with the Doctor. I didn't want those reminders. As I followed Flaherty towards the empty warehouse, I had a feeling of déjà vu.

It wasn't that I had been there before but more a familiar experience. I was reminded of the time with the flower pot over a week earlier. I stopped moving, but Matt and Flaherty were ahead of me. I could see every little movement in their legs as they took a single step. Matt's coat flared out behind him one inch at a time. The Geek passed me and I could see every drop of sweat on his forehead. One drop slowly rolled down his cheek. I could hear and feel the beat of my heart, the beat of his heart. As Matt's foot reached the ground everything snapped back as if a film was returned to its normal speed. I gasped, causing the men to look at me.

Matt came to my side. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice low so that neither the Geek nor Flaherty could hear me.

"It happened again," I whispered. "Remember how I told you about that flower pot falling in slow motion? It happened again just now."

"Uh, Charlotte, there are no flower pots around here," Matt said, looking at me oddly.

I really wanted to smack him. "No," I hissed. "The slow motion thing. Time slowing down. I heard everything, saw every little movement. It is starting to scare me."

"Well, we'll let the brass know when we get back," he said. "Who knows? It could just be a side effect from all the time you spent on the Tarpis."

"Tardis," I corrected, though my mind was now on what I would be subjected to in the next week or so. I would be placed on "vacation" at a lab where UNIT scientists and doctors would make sure nothing alien had happened to me. The thought of the wires, poking and prodding made me shudder. And then I would also be put into a psyche evaluation, where I would have to talk about everything that happened on the Tardis—even the things I didn't want to talk about. Like Jack. Or Rose's departure. Or Martha. And especially, my own departure.

But I also knew that the Tardis wasn't to blame for my recent episodes. I had decided one late night to look up if I could find some old companions I had met. I learned Martha had gotten her medical license and was now working at UNIT while I even found Jack working for Torchwood in Cardiff. I hadn't meant to look him up, but my fingers just found themselves typing the name. Perhaps I was being too harsh on Jack. Once our fling cooled down, he was a good friend. However, I wasn't going to rush over to Cardiff in hopes to "accidentally" bump into him. Nor was I planning on ever running into Martha again, who was also married with a kid now.

"Agent Martin? Is everything alright?" Flaherty asked, arms crossed. Even the Geek was watching me intently.

"She's fine," Matt responded for me. "Can we just hurry this up? She needs to eat." I sighed. Matt would love it if my tests came back saying there was a medical, sugar-related reason for my condition. He could understand that—his own brother had diabetes. I would love it if it came back that I just needed to make sure I ate a bit more, as I knew it wasn't an after effect of living on the Tardis. And there were only two other options: insanity or alien forces. And I would prefer to compromise with a shrink than an alien leader.

"Yeah, I'm skipping lunch myself," Flaherty said. "Come on." He led us to the warehouse and I contemplated what lay inside. If it was another Dalek, I think I would run from the building screaming. I was sick and tired of those creatures yet it was one of them that led me to really meet the Doctor.

_

* * *

__"Mr. van Statten wants you to see the Metaltron. Claims it's his pride and joy," I explained walking with the Doctor. I wondered if he was the one in those UNIT legends. "I however call it the talking garbage can alien." _

_"Talking garbage can alien?" he asked, slightly amused. "Don't think I've ever run into that race before. Does it talk about anything interesting?"_

_"Not really. It usually just moans a lot. It sometimes says a few words, but it requires a rather large electric shock to do so."_

_"You torture it?" Rose asked, horrified. The Doctor didn't look too happy about that either. "Does it feel pain?"_

_"I guess so. I'm not necessarily part of it," I explained as we arrived at the Cage. "But there it is. Harmless and actually pretty useless overall. But maybe you'll be able to get more out of it than we have."_

_"Of course. I won't be torturing it," he replied before stepping inside. Rose and I turned to settle down when van Statten's newest right-hand man told me to take her for a tour. _

_We wandered around the bunker, Rose telling me of her adventures with the Doctor. I was jealous—she lived such an adventurous life while I was stuck babysitting a man who believed he owned the entire universe. Sometimes, things just weren't fair. _

_I was so engrossed in what Rose's stories, I hadn't realized I had brought her back to Metaltron's holding area. "It's that garbage can alien," Rose said, echoing me. "Is that the torture you were talking about?" I nodded, not really having witnessed it before. I could understand where Rose's and the Doctor's indignation came from now. "Wasn't the Doctor in here?" _

_"Security had to remove him," the worker explained. "He tried to attack out. Mr. van Statten wasn't too thrilled with him." _

_I groaned as Rose advanced into the Cage. "Rose, be careful," I said. "It's just been tortured."_

_"You said it's harmless," Rose answered back. _

_

* * *

__Harmless. _How I've come to regret that word. When that Dalek came alive, Rose stayed while I ran. I ran to find the Doctor. If the stories had been true, he would know what to do. And he did.

The Dalek went on a killing spree, it's body count raising by the second. At that point, I had to follow orders. People were getting hurt, I was the government agent. And I had to reveal myself.

* * *

"_Doctor!" I yelled, running against the tide. People were trying to escape the bunker, escape with their lives. "Doctor!"_

_"Charlie!" Rose yelled out to me. I grabbed her hand as she pulled me from the crush of the people. "Charlie, it just shot all those people. And it's my fault." _

"_No, Rose, don't think that!" I pleaded. While I was jealous of her ability to travel the universe, she looked so remorseful and I had enjoyed her company. "You didn't know. I didn't know."_

_"The Doctor knew," Rose said, sadly just as he rounded the corner. _

_"Charlie, I need your help," he said._

_"What do you need?"_

_"Well, I…You wouldn't be able to fight an alien, would you?"_

_"Yes," I replied. "And the name's Charlotte. No one calls me Charlie. I work for UNIT, I was keeping an eye on van Statten and his collection."_

_"I was wondering why he was able to run around unchecked. Anyway, I need you two to stall the Dalek for me if you can point me to the security room." _

_Rose and I looked at each other. "Doctor, I've really never had field experience," I said. "I don't know…"_

_"Charlotte, do you trust me?" he asked. I looked into his eyes, so solemn. His eyes that had seen everything, that revealed he knew everything as well. And all I could say was:_

_"Yes." _

* * *

That little word changed my life. I had put my trust in the Doctor and it had paid off handsomely. The Dalek destroyed itself, much to Rose's dismay. She always saw the good in everybody. I think that's what drew the Doctor partially to me: I was the more cynical of the two. It was a balance in the Tardis—he probably would have gone insane if both of us had that personality. In fact, I believe he would've just left me to deal with van Statten if I had been just like Rose. He, with a little prodding from Rose, invited me to join him. "One trip," he had said, more to Rose than to me. But after I helped him on Satellite Five, proving myself the fighter he needed, I was able to stay.

_"I thought you said one trip?" Rose asked. _

_"I travel with the best," he replied, shrugging. And in that moment, I felt my heart soar. He considered me as good as Rose, who smiled at me._

_She slung her arm over my shoulders. "Come now, we need to find you a room. Oh, it's going to be great to have another female to talk to on this ship!" she said, leading me away from the bridge._

* * *

"Here it is," Flaherty said, pointing to a tiny circular metal object on the ground. Several people surrounded it, trying to dig it out of the floor. "It was so deeply embedded, we had to borrow some help from a local archeological dig."

"How did it get in? Did it just appear?" the Geek asked, now very interested. Matt tapped him on the shoulder and pointing to a circular hole in the warehouse's metal ceiling. "Wow," the Geek responded, trying to get a closer look. "It must've been really hot when it entered. Maybe it crashed through the Earth's atmosphere! Friction from re-entry would've garnered enough heat to cause that."

"Yes," Flaherty said, slightly annoyed. "We've already considered that. UNIT didn't register any strange atmospheric events and we're waiting for a report from NASA to see if they or the International Space Station saw anything."

I was distracted from Flaherty and the Geek's argument when one of the archeologists screamed. We all rushed over as they started to back away. "What's the matter?" I asked, looking down. There, in an excavated crater, sat a round metallic orb. Memories flashed through my mind, battling for prominence. But they all featured a million of these orbs killing. "Tolcafane," I muttered, carefully picking it up.

"Charlotte! Be careful!" Matt yelled at me while the Geek suddenly bolted for the door.

Flaherty tried to inch down toward me, scared to set off the object in my hand. "Come on, give it here," he said. "Before you get hurt."

"I'll be fine," I replied.

"Charlotte, are you insane? Those things killed President Winters, remember?" I ignored Matt. I remembered the Tolcafane killing our president very well but I also had memories of them killing many more than just him. I remember running, I remember chanting for the Doctor…Maybe being on the Tardis has affected me after all.

The Tolcafane in my arms opened up, like the Dalek did for Rose. What would I see inside? Another alien merely programmed to destroy everything that wasn't the same as well? To my surprise, the creature inside looked like a human face as if Edvard Munch had painted it. "Hello," it croaked.

"Hi," I whispered. "Where did you come from?"

"I came from a place of darkness," it croaked back, struggling to take breaths. "I came with Harold. He promised us our utopia."

"Utopia?"

"Yes, but I lost Harold. I lost my family and my friends."

"Agent Martin, put it down and get out of there," Flaherty yelled at me.

I took a deep breath, noticing tears were flowing down my cheek. "Shut. Up," I hissed, still clutching the alien. It wasn't like the Dalek, I could tell. "You'll be with your family soon. You'll reach utopia."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise," I replied, trying not to sob. "And it'll be beautiful."

"That's what Martha said. Do you know her? You have the same energy glow she did. Very beautiful, like you've seen your utopia."

I tried not to show how much Martha's name bothered me. This was the creature's last moments and I didn't want it thinking it had upset me. "I have," I answered. "And that's why I can promise you it will be beautiful."

But the Tolcafane didn't respond. It closed its eyes and I knew it was dead. I picked it up, still coddling it. Matt silently helped me out of the crater while Flaherty and the Geek watched me. Fortunately, they too were smart enough not to say anything. We walked to the van to bring it to UNIT for an autopsy. As I cradled it more, a memory of Martha popped up unbidden. Strangely, it too involved a Dalek.

* * *

_We were herded into lines, reminding me of my time in elementary school. "What are they doing?" Martha asked._

_"I don't know and I don't like it," I replied, angry that these Daleks were still around. How could they escape the void and yet Rose was almost sent to oblivion? _

_"Well, I'm sure the Doctor will be here soon," she replied, not scared at all._

_I shook my head. "We can't wait for the Doctor. We should get out of here now. Grab Lazlo if we can."_

_"Why?"_

_"Hello, they're Daleks," I answered. "Nothing good happens when they are around."_

_"They look like talking garbage cans." Martha' comments reminded me of my belief about the Metaltron under van Statten. Of course, I learned better._

_"They're killing machines. Do you remember Canary Wharf?" Martha didn't respond. "Look, if you're not a Dalek, you die. Rose and I…"_

_"ROSE!" Martha nearly shouted. I poked her, as one of the Pig Slaves looked us over. He decided we weren't worth an intervention. "I bet Rose befriended one of them, reformed it and went skipping along in a field."_

_The animosity didn't escape me nor did I appreciate it. Neither the Doctor nor I spoke of Rose often around Martha nor did we use such purple prose about her just between the two of us. I was also upset that Martha was too busy being jealous and trying to impress the Doctor to worry about the real danger we both were in. "It went on a killing spree before destroying itself," I explained, my voice low. "It is just a machine of destruction."_

_But Martha wasn't listening anymore. The Doctor had arrived. _

* * *

It was then that I realized that Martha may not be the best fit for us in the Tardis. I was glad when the Doctor returned Martha to her own time—it looked like he was serious about the two of us being alone together for sometime. But it was not to be and the beginning of my end was the day we met Dr. Lazarus.

Dinner was a somber affair. The Geek went to visit some friends, leaving Matt and I alone. He didn't press me for any stories nor to talk about the Tolcafane. We dined in silence as his presence was comfort enough. A stormed brewed in quite strangely and we were forced to remain in Boston. UNIT put us up in a nearby hotel, but accidentally booked only one room. The Geek, who wasn't as obtuse as we first thought, quickly volunteered to sleep on his friend's couch, leaving Matt and I alone. It was one of the first times we shared a bed since I had come back. He offered to take the other bed, but I felt I needed him with me that night.

I remembered every moment with the Tolcafane, even down to the last words I said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Had I really echoed the Doctor's words? Now that I thought about it, had I really said it? I elbowed Matt awake.

"What, Char?"

"Matt, what were the last words I said to the Tolcafane today?"

"Char, it's late and you should sleep. I don't think you should get upset now."

"Matt, please. It's important to me."

"You told it you've been to your utopia and promised its would be beautiful," he said.

"Nothing else?"

"No, you were crying so hard."

"Did anyone say they were sorry?"

Matt was silent. "You know, yeah," he finally said. "This man wearing a suit of all things and a pair of dark red sneakers was watching the whole time, inching closer as your conversation continued. He said that line as you stood up. Is that it?"

"Yes," I replied, even more confused. What was the Doctor doing in Boston?

* * *

A/N: Here's another chapter! I hope you all enjoyed it. Thanks for those who have reviewed or added me to their favorites. Please, do I enjoy feedback and I can't make this story better unless you tell me how. Once again, another thanks to Araiona Dubois for reading this over and giving me ideas! To all my American readers, have a happy 4th of July.


	4. Conversations

Chapter 3: Conversations

I returned from Boston now convinced that the Doctor was following me. It could not be mere coincidence, not after this. Were the weird time lapses connected to him? Were they the reason he was here?

I noticed the episodes were now getting more frequent and lasting longer than they had in the previous weeks. The day after we returned from Boston, I was waiting for the subway when it happened again. I was at the 125th Street stop, reading the New York Times in between bites of my bagel, when it happened again. I heard the B train coming. Anyone who has travelled the subway system long enough can learn to tell which way the train was coming and which tunnel.

I folded the newspaper up, tossing my empty bag to get a better grip on my coffee mug. I saw the B come barreling into the station and then…it stopped. Everything around me stopped. I saw the train as if it was stopped at the station, yet it changed subtly every time I blinked. The light in the subway turned the people into shadows, but they were blurry as if the train was still speeding past me. The commuters around me also slowed down. The man next to me emitted a strange sound as he talked on his cell phone. The woman next to him was about to collide with a teenage boy standing on the platform edge, iEar blaring music. I could hear and feel every breath I took, every beat of my heart.

With a pop, everything returned to normal and the doors dinged open. I blinked, but was pushed into the car due to the momentum of the crowd. I grabbed onto the pole, the cold metal jolting me back to reality. It was such a shock, I didn't care what had been on the pole in the past twenty years. I got off near the United Nations building, where UNIT headquarters was also located, still shocked by what I had seen.

After all this time on the Tardis and the past episodes, I still wasn't adjusted to the slow-mo time. And all the times I've popped out of different time periods should've prepared me, but it hadn't.

_

* * *

__"This is amazing! My first trip out and I'm in the future!" Mickey exclaimed, hopping up and down like a little kid during his first time to Disney World. There was so much to do and see, he didn't know which way to go first. Even Rose, who hadn't been too fond of his presence, had to smile. "How cool is this?"_

_"Incredibly cool, Mickey," I said. "But would you have said that if we had gone to the past or another planet?"_

_"Absolutely!" _

_Rose laughed. "He's just happy to be out of the Powell Estates," she said, walking ahead. _

_"Well, so are you," Mickey responded. "But do you think tomorrow we can go into the past? Or will it be yesterday now that we are in the future? Or will it be tomorrow if we're in the past?"_

_"Oh, you get used to that. I can't recall the last time I said the word yesterday," I said, running my hand against the cool metallic panels of the spaceship. "But as to where will be next, who knows? The Tardis has a mind of her own."_

* * *

The Tardis was always determining where we landed. I think that if we ended up where we wanted to be, Rose and I would've keeled over from shock. The Doctor too. Mickey's first trip was interesting. He wasn't around long enough, though, to lose the need to distinguish between "yesterday" and "tomorrow." Mickey gave our Tardis calendar quite a workout. Of course, he was quite confused as our calendar was from 1624, but he eventually found one from 2007. Rose and I had stopped looking at it long ago, only accidentally glimpsing it when we went to double check the Doctor's ever growing list of "Tardis Rules."

I stopped to fish out my ID once again from the bottom of my bag. Dad had decided late the night previous that our living room had looked the same way for far too long. So we were up late moving furniture and I had slightly overslept. It made me wonder if Mom had called. She didn't call much now that I was older. When I was a child, right after the divorce, she called everyday. God knows how much the calls from India cost, but it was comforting to hear my mom's voice. Now that I was older and working, calls came once a month if that. I reached my desk, after discovering my ID shoved in between my wallet and an envelope containing an old birthday card. Sitting there was my favorite family picture: Mom, Dad and I sitting in Central Park, all wearing white outfits. Mom…

Veda Martin was a free spirit who fell in love with an academic man but who felt India's pull was stronger. She was a beautiful woman who I was proud to take after physically, though I cherished my clear blue eyes. Dad showed me a picture of his mother—I inherited her eyes. Now, I wasn't one to stand in front of a mirror for hours and admire myself. Dad always put more stock in education, in my mind, then my appearance. But I always wondered if that was less of his academic mindset and more of the fact I looked more and more like my mother every day. We're both pale, though she had tanned in the Indian sun, tall and lithe. We both had dark hair. I remember drawing a picture of my parents and having to really press the crayon to get it to match our color. She always kept her long and the last I saw her, it was now streaked with some grey.

It was Mom's picture that kept me sane on that spaceship, as the Doctor dashed off to save an 18th century French courtesan, Rose stood staring and Mickey freaked out.

* * *

_I sat on my favorite pillow, once a brilliant grass green. Now it was faded from years of washing and use, leaving it almost white. I was trying to meditate, just like my Mom taught me. We were all nervous and Mickey's ranting wasn't helping. I had stormed off to my quiet room. Rose was just staring at where the last temporal window into the 18__th__ century had been before the Doctor crashed it to save Reinette. I decided I would rather stare at my dresser than watch her shut down and listen to Mickey's "We're going to die" one more time. _

_A picture of Kalki, an avatar of the Hindu god Vishnu, sat nestled amongst the pictures of my family and friends. Nearby, a statue of Vishnu stood watching all those who entered my room. I found it odd that Mom would've chosen Kalki all those years ago. This particular avatar represented time, when Vishnu would come at the end of the world. He also rode a white horse, reared up. It looked like the Doctor before he and Arthur had left us here…I closed my eyes, trying to center myself, but to no avail. I was worried I would have to activate Emergency Program One in a few hours. My time was almost up. _

_Footsteps echoed outside my room and I prayed it wasn't Mickey coming to rant some more. Mickey Smith was not one to have around in times of crisis. Quick knocking tapped out a familiar tune, revealing that it wasn't our new companion. I stood up and knocked the response. Rose opened the door, quickly stepping in. "I lost Mickey in the game room. Hopefully that'll keep him occupied for some time," she said. _

"_Yeah, like the entire trip back to 2007," I replied. Rose ignored me and I sighed. We both knew we would be going. "Perhaps the Doctor will already be there, with many interesting stories of the slow road and avoiding himself." _

_Rose still didn't answer. "Is this your mother?" she asked, picking up one of my picture frames. "It must be, you look just like her."_

"_Yeah, that's Mom at my sweet sixteen. She surprised me by showing up. She had been apologizing for a few months, saying she couldn't make the airfare, the store wasn't doing well, blah blah blah," I explained. I looked at the two of us. She was still in her sari while I was in my fluffy green dress, hugging her tightly. Tears were rolling down my eyes. Dad stood in the background, watching us._

"_You miss her?"_

"_Yeah, but I talk to her regularly thanks to…whatever the Doctor did to our phones," I said, looking at the black device lying in the middle of my bed. "Great reception and I've yet found a need to charge it."_

"_I know, but do you actually miss being in the same room with her?" _

"_Well, yeah, but I'm used to phone conversations. Prices have to be paid when you live in New York and your loved one lives in some rural Indian village." I sat down on the bed, studying Rose's face. Her eyes were watery and locked onto some distant figure. "You miss Jackie?"_

_Rose sniffled. "I'd never thought I'd admit it, but I do," she said. "It's been her and me for so long…And to think I couldn't wait for the day I left her. And now the possibility of never seeing her again…"_

_I nodded, handing her a box of tissues. "I know. Senior year of high school, I kept telling Dad I didn't want to go to Columbia because I wanted to dorm. I wanted to live on my own. I went to Vassar and dormed there. I was so incredibly homesick that I spent every night on the phone with Dad crying. Needless to say, I ended up at Columbia the next semester and was back at home." _

_Rose looked at me. Her lips started to twitch, slowly forming a smile. She threw her head back and laughed. Shortly after, I began laughing too. _

* * *

I put down the frame, sighing. Rose and I talked for two hours straight that day, before she returned to her vigil for the Doctor. I swore she had some psychic abilities because no more than twenty minutes later, he returned triumphant. It was a shame Martha and I never bonded like that.

_I was pacing across my room. Dad would do it when he was thinking or when Mom called. Mom considered it a waste of energy and would try to get him to meditate instead. But I was too antsy, too upset to calm myself down. I looked at my picture of Mom, taken on my last visit to India. "What would you do?" I asked. There was no response. I fingered the phone in my jacket pocket, wondering if I should phone her or not. My eyes flickered to the next picture, a shot of Rose and I in our 50's bobbysoxer outfits in London. She was wearing all pink, while I wore blue. We had shoved the camera at a flustered Doctor and started posing. By the time the Doctor finally got the camera to face the right way and the flash to work, we were leaning against each other, extremely tired. _

_It was now more treasured than my pictures of Mom. I could still call India. I can't call a parallel universe. Believe me, I had tried many times. And I really wanted to call Rose after Martha's outburst in New New York. A knock disrupted my wishing. "Charlotte?"_

"Charlotte?" I looked up to see Matt standing in front of me, concerned. "Are you okay?"

I smiled, putting down the frame in my hand. "I'm fine, why?"

"Because Alice says you've been staring into space since you came in. You're still wearing your coat and you're holding your mom's picture," he said, matter-of-factly. "Did your mom call? Did you have another episode?" He whispered the last line, as if we were plotting to run off to Vegas to elope.

"I don't know," I admitted. "I was here for awhile refilling some requests after the computers crashed randomly…"

"I heard about that."

"Yeah and when I got home, Dad's all 'Let's re-arrange the furniture!' So either he submitted an article to some journal or Mom called. And since I haven't seen him writing, I'll go with the latter."

"Your parents' relationship could've been a Shakespearan tragedy—two people desperately in love with each other but driven apart by their destinies."

"That's quite a few of Shakespeare's tragedies," I pointed out. "But what did they tell you about the computers going down?"

"Nothing. Just a fried server."

"That's it, the server didn't fry. According to the Geeks, it just stopped receiving the correct amount of power," I explained. I motioned him closer. "They say for a brief moment, we were running on European currents. And," I continued, "I think it might be connected to my weird episodes."

"Your sense of time runs on an electrical current?"

"Very funny. But they can't be a coincidence."

"Char, I think the Geeks were just having some fun with you. It's a coincidence."

I frowned. "Matt, I traveled with the Doctor long enough to learn that nothing is a coincidence." He was ready to argue, but I was in no mood. "Look, I'm going to get myself some coffee. I'll see you at lunch."

I stood up, walking toward the elevator. "Stop running, Charlotte," he yelled after me. "You can't always run from a fight." As I entered the elevator, I turned around. Matt was still standing by my desk, a hurt look on his face. The silver doors closed and I was face to face with myself.

* * *

"_Charlotte?" Martha asked, opening my door slightly. "Can we talk for a bit?" She didn't wait for an answer, just walked in and sat down on my bed. "I have a feeling we're getting off to a bad start."_

_I took a deep breath. She's right; we weren't hitting it off. Perhaps a talk could clear it up. "You're right," I responded. "So, what do you want to talk about?"_

"_Anything really. I do like your statues. Are they Hindu?" I smiled, ready to talk about it. I knew Martha's parents were separated—we could talk about that. Things were starting to look up. _

"_Yes," I responded. We talked for a bit—civilly—until she picked up a shirt I didn't realize was still in my room. _

"_Charlotte, aren't you American?" she asked. _

"_Yeah," I replied. "Why?"_

"_Then why do you own a shirt with the Union flag on it?" She held up a shirt, one the Doctor—our old Doctor—and I had teased her for wearing. The one she wore when we met Jack. _

"_That's Rose's. She must've left it in here by accident," I replied. Martha flung it to the side, causing it to knock down a picture of myself and Matt. "What the hell did you do that for?" _

"_I just put it down," Martha said, shrugging. "It's just a shirt."_

"_Yes, it's just a shirt, but you don't just throw things around my room! And that shirt holds a memory for me. Don't disrespect that!"_

"_Woah, woah!" Martha said, holding up her hands. "I disrespected you because I threw one of Rose's old shirts?"_

"_Yes!" My temper exploded. "You disrespect me, you disrespect Rose and you disrespect the Doctor…"_

"_Hold up, how did I disrespect the Doctor? He clearly needed to talk about it. People need to talk about things or else they get sick. It was a lesson in med…"_

"_The Doctor," I said, "isn't a case study in one of your textbooks, Martha. The Doctor is a Time Lord and one you just met. I've been traveling with him for a while now. I know how he operates and I know it is best to wait for him to talk to you about it. Don't push him." _

"_Maybe someone needs to push him. Maybe because I'm new I can see that. Maybe you don't know him all that well!" I vaulted over my bed, grabbing Martha's arm after that. "Let go of me!" she yelled as I dragged her to the door._

"_Get out," I hissed, shoving her back into the Tardis. I slammed the door, locking it. Martha continued to pound on it for some time after, I don't know how long. I had put on some music and drowned it all out._

* * *

Matt and I made up later that day; he said he should've known better than to think my time aboard the Tardis "hadn't been anything more than a pleasure cruise." The odd phrase made me laugh. I wish I could say the same thing happened between Martha and I, but the late night crying apologies were not our thing like it had been after a fight with Rose.

That night, another glitch in the computer programs meant I had to re-file several electronic reports. "Did the currents go haywire again?" I asked, leaning over my cubicle wall to watch the Geek at work.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "The database won't accept many states. In fact, it'll only accept thirteen of them."

"Which ones?" I asked, looking over at the program. "Huh."

"What?"

"It's the original thirteen."

"Bizarre. What the…?" Both our computers turned off before blinking slowly back to life. I could hear him clicking on the other side of the wall. "They're back. The missing states. I don't know about you, but this is starting to freak me out."

"Go home, get some rest," I said. "Everything's fixed now and I can handle it from here."

"You both should go home," said Cal, coming out of his office. Cal Johnson had been a UNIT agent for almost 40 years. He was a big man, though it had probably been muscles back when he was a young man. Now, gravity had taken hold and it was sagging. His hair was now more gray than black, with white starting to creep in. Wrinkles lined his mouth and eyes, giving him a wise look. He still stood a head above most people in the office and emitted an aura of authority. Nothing could surprise him, office lore said. Not even if you came into work wearing nothing but a fig leaf. Of course, the fact that particular example existed meant someone had tried that.

"Cal, I can finish the reports in less than an hour," I said as the Geek packed up. Cal waited for him to leave before responding to me.

"Martin," he said, his voice gravelly from years of smoking. "Look, I know you can do this. But I think you need to go home and not come back until Thursday."

"I don't need a day off!"

"You need a personal day, Charlotte. You came off your adventures with the Doctor and started work almost immediately. Things have been crazy around here without you and your boyfriend arguing in the middle of the office."

"Oh, sorry." I felt my face heat up.

"Yes, well, I'm sure those episodes haven't been helping much either."

"He told you?"

"No, Flaherty isn't an idiot. And you two may want to consider talking about it when you are around other people," Cal said, smirking a bit before frowning again. "We should've known you needed more time to adjust after being on the Tardis."

"So, you're going to send me off for some tests."

"No," he said. He chuckled at the shocked look on my face. "That's what the mental health day is for. Go home, get some sleep, go shopping, read a book, try to order something from Starbucks or whatever you do."

* * *

So the next day, I lay out in Bryant Park, finishing off a very relaxing day. The sun was starting to set and various guitar chords floated over the green lawns, somehow forming a harmonious tune. My book rested precariously on my stomach, threatening to fall and lose my place. But I didn't care—who could after a day spent sleeping in, lunching with dad, shopping along Canal Street and an hour expedition in Strands? A day that was about to be capped with dinner and drinks with my boyfriend and some of our couple friends?

I shifted slightly, feeling a cramp in my legs. They haven't been getting the workout they were used to since I left the Tardis, I thought with a smile. The movement caused my book to fall from its precarious perch, tumbling into the green grass. I picked up the pink covered book. It had been recommended to me by one of Dad's colleagues who knew my affinity for historical fiction. I bought it today but hadn't really read much of it once I got here to Bryant Park.

I picked up the book and noticed who it was about: Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour. Reinette.

I laughed—of course I would end up reading a book about someone I had met on my journeys with the Doctor! That ship, the one we first took Mickey to, it created temporal windows into her life. She was a fascinating woman, educated and powerful. No wonder the Doctor felt drawn to her, no wonder she felt above us…

_

* * *

__Rose and I were now just lying on my bed. "How long's he been gone?" she asked me. I lifted up my arm to read my watch. _

"_Three hours and forty-five minutes," I replied. "Seems like three days."_

"_I know. How long do you think it's been for him?"_

"_Hard to say, he is on the slow path now," I said. _

_Rose snorted a bit. "Reinette used that term a lot, especially in our last talk with her," she responded. "She saw the ship, you know."_

"_Reinette? When?"_

"_When Mickey came to tell me you and the Doctor had found the window. She saw the ship, heard the screams. It was very confusing talking with her," Rose said. "There were times we were able to connect, you know over the Doctor. I think she loved him."_

"_You love him, Rose, there's the connection," I said, gently. Rose was always a bit defensive about her feelings for the Doctor, so I didn't know if the conversation would end there. _

"_I guess," she replied. "But when we talked on that level, it was like we were equals. And then, after she saw the ship, she started calling me a child. I suddenly was that twenty-years-old shop girl from London again."_

_I put my arm around my friend. "She was probably scared and jealous."_

"_Jealous?" Rose snorted._

"_Yes," I replied, smiling. "She's supposedly one of the most educated women of her time. She, by all accounts, is older than you. And yet when she saw that spaceship she realized there were things you've seen, things you know that she'll never get to know or see."_

_Rose hugged me. "You always know what to say to make me feel better," she said. "Come on, let's go. Waiting and worrying for the Doctor has made me hungry."_

_We jumped off my bed. "We should probably get Mickey, if he isn't lost in the bowels of the Tardis. There are times I wouldn't be surprised if a companion the Doctor forgot about wandered out of there," I said, locking the door behind me. _

"_Don't joke. I don't want to be worried about some bloke sneaking up on me while I'm sleeping," Rose said. "Besides, do you think the Doctor really forgets about his companions? Do you think he'll forget us?"_

"_I don't think he really forgets, he just stops talking about us so to make the pain better," I said. "But he'll never forget either one of us. Because if you leave first, I will remind him of you until I leave."_

"_And if you leave first, I'll remind him of you until I leave," Rose said. We shook each other's hand to seal the deal. "Come on, I now want a banana daiquiri." _

* * *

I sighed at the memory. _"I didn't do a good job of defending your memory, Rose,"_ I thought. _"I'm sorry I let Martha get so many cracks at you." _

I read the summary flap. "What if Madame de Pompadour had been attacked by robots—Are you kidding me?" I asked.

"Are you talking to a book? Was that on your adventures, talking books?" Matt asked, sitting down next to me. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the gray t-shirt he usually wore under his suits. His tie was undone and he carried his jacket in the crook of his arm.

"No, well, I guess I was talking to the book. But the plot—it's one of our adventures," I said, handing Matt the book. "But let's not think of that. It's my mental health day and I can't wait for dinner. Where are we going?"

"Now that's what I want to here! I decided to go traditional."

"Oh?"

"We're going to the best pub in the city for some fish and chips!"

"Great! Wait, what?" I said. Matt didn't like any British slang and was upset over the ones that had snuck into my vocabulary courtesy of Rose and Martha.

Matt looked at me. "I said we were going down to a local bar Dan and Lois suggested. They said it had some great ribs. You know how much I love ribs," he replied. "Why?"

"I thought you said…Never mind. Perhaps I was out in the sun a bit too long." He stood up, offering me his hand. "Thank you, good sir."

"Of course, my lady," he responded. He handed me my bag and book. "We will be taking the subway and if you would rather see if this author got your adventures correct than talk to me, I would absolutely understand."

"Well, what kind of a date would I be if I did that?" I tucked the book away in my bag. "Allons-y!" I exclaimed.

* * *

I curled in my dad's favorite chair later on, in my most comfortable pajamas and some hot chocolate on the table next to me. My main source of light came from the kitchen as well as the one lamp I had on in the living room. I looked out the window, at the twinkling city lights. They honestly couldn't compare to the stars I had seen with the Doctor, but they were still beautiful to me. I ran my fingers through my wet hair, opening my book. "Well, Reinette, looks like you've come back into my life. How did you handle being on the slow path?" I asked, looking at the portrait of the French woman. The woman who had briefly snared the Doctor's heart, no matter how much he denied it.

_It had been a few hours, I supposed, since the Doctor had returned downtrodden. Rose, Mickey and I had made ourselves scarce since then. They had found a foosball table in some room of the Tardis, currently locked in an epic battle. I, though, was concerned for the Doctor and figured I'd give talking to him a shot. I found him on the bridge, slumped down next to his chair. I sat down next to him, just waiting for him to say something. _

"_I was too late," he said, after a pause. "I arrived after she died."_

"_Oh. I'm sorry. I know you liked her." _

"_There was just something about her," the Doctor said. "I think it was because she got into my mind…literally. I had to read hers and she ended up in mind. She was the first person since the end of the Time War I felt actually understood me."_

"_We all want someone to connect to and of course neither Rose nor I can possibly understand what you've seen. But you've shown us some of the most remarkable things anyone has ever seen. We're going to have to face that when we leave the Tardis. Well, when I leave the Tardis. Rose is pretty determined to never leave. Ever," I said, finally hearing the Doctor laugh. "Ha! Got you to laugh!" _

"_Oh, yes, I knew there was a reason I brought you on board, Charlotte Martin," he said. "You know how to cheer me up." _

"_Glad to be of service. Now, do you want to see who's won the Smith-Tyler foosball match?" I asked. _

_The Doctor nodded, standing up. "Allons-y," he said, taking mine. _

"_Doctor?" I said, allowing him to pull me up. "You know you can always count on me, right?" _

"_Absolutely," he replied. _

Apparently, he hadn't remembered that. That bitter thought brought tears to my eyes as I slammed the book shut. A few tears rolled down my cheek and I quickly brushed them away. "Alright, Charlotte, time for bed," I told myself, not minding I was talking aloud. "You have work tomorrow. Just put the Doctor out of your mind."

* * *

I rushed out of a nearby café, realizing my lunch hour ended nearly ten minutes ago. I had made the wrong decision to read while eating and had lost track of time. I balanced my coffee cup as I raced back toward UNIT headquarters, expertly weaving my way down the crowded sidewalk.

As I approached the main entrance, time slowed down again. Everyone around me came to a dead stop, not even inching along. I stood there, trying to catch my breath. It felt like the time I accidentally dropped the dumbbell on my chest during the UNIT physical. As I struggled with just taking short breaths, everyone started to move in reverse. It was as if someone had hit the rewind button on a movie, even the birds were moving backwards. The only thing not in reverse besides me was a lone bee, buzzing along as if nothing was wrong.

I decided that if the bee could resist whatever was happening, I could as well. I willed my legs to move and the right one did. It felt like I was dragging lead through molasses, but I started to inch closer to the door. People and cars kept racing past me, on their backwards trek though the shadows never changed. I was almost within reach of the door handle when I hit something. The impact caused time to snap back and I felt a familiar headache pound in my lower temple. I looked up to see the person I had collided with.

"Hello, Charlotte Martin," the Doctor said. "Miss me?"

* * *

A/N: It's been awhile, hasn't it? I've been on a writing streak as well as doing some odd jobs while going on interviews, so there were other works I've been doing. And I'm afraid I got stuck because I wanted to include Reinette as a character in this chapter but in the end I had to abandon this storyline because I couldn't capture her. Anyway, enjoy and hopefully it won't be a month until my next update! --Mac


	5. We're Off to See The Jailer

Chapter 4: We're Off To See The Jailer…

"This isn't happening, this isn't happening, this isn't happening…"

"Are you going to keep saying that?" the Doctor asked, leaning back in my chair. I was pacing in front of my desk. I looked over every so often but he was still there. Sitting with his converse sneakers on my desk, following me with his brown eyes. "Because it's getting very annoying."

"I'm sorry, but you aren't here."

"That's odd, last I checked I was."

"No," I replied. "I'm hallucinating. This time episode was worse than the others and now I'm seeing things."

"Others? You have had time episodes?" the Doctor asked, now intrigued. "What sort of time episodes?"

"You know, time slowing down, time speeding up, everything going backwards," I replied off-hand before slamming my hands down on the desk. "Okay, tell me why you're here."

"Why don't you tell me more about these time episodes?"

"Not until you tell me why you've walked back into my life!"

"Martin!" Cal yelled. Just what I needed—my supervisor. Cal strode across the office as I noticed everyone leaning out their cubicles. I was the main spectacle and the realization made me flush with embarrassment. "Look, Martin, if you have an ex-something we know nothing about, you chose a rather bad time to reveal it. Settle your problems outside of UNIT time."

"Who's that?" the Doctor asked.

"I should be asking that," Cal replied. "Who are you?"

The Doctor flashed his smile. "I'm the Doctor."

The gasps over this declaration were heard from every desk in the room. Cal's jaw went slack a bit—the first time I think he had been genuinely shocked in the past forty years. He snapped out of it quickly and saluted. "Don't…Don't salute," the Doctor said, his smile dropping.

"Doctor, it's an honor to meet you. Charlotte's told us so much about you," Cal said, shaking the Doctor's hand.

"I'm sure she has," he replied. "Can I borrow her?"

"Absolutely, of course. Martin, don't just stand there!" Cal said. "Grab your coat and go!"

* * *

And so, an hour later, the Doctor and I were walking through Central Park, trying to ignore every "What a cute couple!" we heard. "I bet they're expecting me to drop down to one knee, like this," he said, getting down on his right now. "Taking your hand in mine." He took my right hand. "And asking, Charlotte Martin, will you marry me?"

Sounds of "awws" filled the afternoon air. "Very funny," I replied. "Besides, you're holding my wrong hand. The ring would go on the left ring finger, not the right."

Disappointed park-goers started to shuffle away as they realized we were just joking with them. "Right, well, it's been a while since I proposed to anyone. Years…centuries, even, I guess. Though there was that time with Catherine di Medici…And I'm rambling again, aren't I?" I nodded. "Right, so, where were we?"

"I believe we were dancing around each other. So, why are you here? Where's Martha?"

"She…left."

"Like Rose left?"

"No, no, heavens no. She, well, she wanted to be with her family and finish medical school. I recommended her for UNIT."

"I saw. I did a search. So Jack's in Cardiff, working for Torchwood," I replied. "Ever see him again?"

"Yeah, shortly after…We went to the end of the universe and then had to deal with those Toclafane."

"The things that killed President Winters back in 2008. I remember how horrified the country was. It took all of Vice President Chambers diplomatic finesse to prevent us from rising up in arms against the British again. Of course, that Prime Minister…Saxon, right? Well, he ended up dead too."

"Yeah," the Doctor replied, eyes dark. I knew something more happened between him and Saxon, but wouldn't press it. "And of course, you held a dying Toclafane in Boston."

"You were there. So, you've been stalking me for a month," I said, turning to face him. "I saw you at the bus stop. You probably left the tickets for Matt. Why?"

"I wanted to make sure you were happy," the Doctor responded. "I screwed up Martha's life and I wanted to make sure I hadn't done the same with you."

I dropped my defensive stance, allowing my arms to fall back to my sides. "I'm not screwed up," I replied.

"I'd be more apt to believe that if you didn't spend the first twenty minutes I was with you chanting how this wasn't happening."

I motioned toward a nearby bench. "I guess I was just a bit stressed out. I have been thinking of you the past few weeks and then add the bizarre episodes," I said.

"Ah, yes, care to explain?"

"I told you…well, shouted at you…pretty much everything. Sometimes time slows down, sometimes it speeds up. And I seem to be the only one affected. Well, except for a bee today."

"A bee? Strange…Wait! This must be why the Tardis won't let me leave!" The Doctor got that look in his eye, the one that meant we were on another adventure.

"What do you mean the Tardis won't let you leave? How long have you been here?"

"Well, not long by your standards. I appear, see you, try to leave and the Tardis just lands a few weeks later. You've probably had about two months. I've probably felt a few days, at most."

"Lucky you," I replied. "So, do you think the Tardis wants you to help me with my time episodes?"

"She must. Though why would you experience it and no one else?"

"Everyone else is convinced it's because of the time I spent with you. That the Tardis threw me off or something," I explained.

The Doctor's eyes grew wide. "Or made you less susceptible to something affecting time!" he yelled. "Oh, brilliant! But who would want to mess with time on earth? Is it just earth or is the entire universe at risk?" He began to pace in front of our bench. "We need to get back to the Tardis and I might be able to track the source. Come on!"

The Doctor took off down a path before realizing I wasn't following. "Well, are you coming?" I took a deep breath, knowing I would regret the next decision I made. I grabbed his hand and we took off through the park. Running was a common activity when traveling with the Doctor—you had to be in tip-top shape to be a companion. If you weren't, you soon would be. The Doctor and I ran many places, many planets, across time.

_

* * *

__The Tardis landed in its usual manner—hard and fast. I fell out of bed, still clutching my pillow. I was just able to catch my books before they landed on my head. Unfortunately, I missed one of my particularly large history tomes at the edge of the desk. It landed right on my foot. _

_Pain throbbed through my butt, my back and my right foot. I hissed, trying to stand up while simultaneously balance my books and not put pressure on my injured appendage. "Charlotte, everything alright in there?" the Doctor asked, opening the door a crack. _

"_Actually, I could use a hand in here," I replied. He opened the door. "Get the books. And do you have anything for pain? I thought we were supposed to be hovering in space."_

"_We were and then…we weren't." The Doctor took some of my books. "Oi, what are these?"_

"_My books and could you be a bit more specific?"_

"_Well, here's something for the pain and let's go check," the Doctor said, tossing me a bottle of pills. _

"_These aren't anything alien right? Aren't going to have a bad reaction to my human DNA, right?" I asked, following him out to the bridge. "Where are we?"_

_"Uh…right. Ooh, the Golden Plains on Oziatia, near Munch. The Oziatians are known for their hospitality and some great clothing. You'll love it here."_

_I laughed as the Doctor opened the door. The golden shine blinded me for a bit and as I blinked after the first glimpse, there was still spots dancing in front of my eyes. They talk about the amber waves of grain in America, but the strands in the Golden Plains could easily put them to shame. "Are they same sort of alien wheat?" I asked, stepping out of the Tardis, not caring I was still in my favorite sari. _

_"Yes and they make some of the best bread in the whole universe, though not necessarily the most nutritious for humans or humanoid species, but great for the Oziatians." _

_"Uh, Doctor, I think something's under the Tardis," I said, approaching the police box. Sticking out was a piece of purple cloth and a green goo of sorts. "What do the people on this planet look like?"_

_"Well, like them," the Doctor said. I stood up and came face to face with…a giant amoeba. These creatures were the green aliens we all saw in those cheesy sci-fi movies yet also looked like someone enlarged a picture of amoeba from a science textbook. Their eyes were floating pieces of coal which never blinked. Their mouths were revealed when they yelled. "Not good," the Doctor muttered next to me. _

_"What did they say?" I asked, wondering why the Tardis hadn't translated it for me. _

_"They didn't say anything as much as they…gave a war yelp," the Doctor explained. _

_"I thought they were known for their hospitality."_

_Before he could respond, the crowd of Oziatians separated to reveal a more powerful looking amoeba. While the others were green, he was gold. "I am the general of the Oziatian Army. You have crushed our beloved king and will now be put to trial. How do you plead?"_

_"Crushed…king?" We both looked at the goo coming out from under the Tardis. "Ahh, right. So then, we plead…" The Doctor took my hand and we started running though the wheat fields, the Oziatians following. _

* * *

We reached the Tardis and stepping through felt odd. The best way I could describe it was when I went back to high school with some friends for a visit. It was a familiar place but since you were no longer there every day, you still felt as if you were an intruder. I ran my hands over the bars, noting a strange container sitting next to the Doctor's seat. Upon closer inspection, it looked like…

"Is that your hand?"

"Yeah, I found it. You remember how I lost it, right?"

"The Sycorax Invasion," I said. "Rose and I didn't know what to make of you then. So what are you going to do with this? Ooh, you should give it a cute name and dress it up for holidays!"

The Doctor stared at me oddly. "You know, if I hadn't met Veda, I wouldn't understand these odd moments you have," he said. "Now, I just need to reverse the polarity of the neutron flow…"

"No offense, the last time you did that, we had to deal with a monster," I said, putting down his spare hand. "I frankly don't want to do that again. Dad'll know and worry this time."

"Don't worry, I can guarantee no monsters. Just some weird time waves coming off a building in…say, do you know how to get to Hell's Kitchen?"

"I am NOT going to Hell's Kitchen!"

"Why couldn't the waves come from some place nice like Chelsea?" I asked, trying to ignore all the needles that littered the floor. The Doctor walked along the hallway as if he owned the place. It was clear that it had once been a nice apartment, probably never meant for the wealthier classes of New York. However, the fresh paint and clean rooms must have looked like heaven to immigrants just getting off the boats. Now, the rooms were deserted and filled with rotting furniture and decaying mattresses. The paint was peeling off the walls and water spots decorated the ceiling.

"Oh come on, this is a place of the people! But not a place of time-altering waves," the Doctor said.

"Perhaps the Tardis was wrong," I said. "Maybe you didn't properly reverse the…"

"She isn't and I did," he argued back before sighing. "We'll have to try again."

"How about tomorrow? Dad's going to wonder where I am," I said, pointing to my watch.

"Brilliant! Haven't seen Allan in quite some time, we need to catch up. What's for dinner?"

"I thought you didn't do domestic," I replied, arms crossed.

"Well…I'm willing to make an exception in this case," he said. "I'll walk you home."

The Doctor and I picked up pizza on the way home—Dad hadn't felt much like cooking and I was coming home too late to start anything decent. Also, he had informed me Matt had parked himself on our couch and refused to budge until I came home. "Allan! Mitch!" the Doctor said, greeting the other men in my life.

"Ah, Matt, care to help me with these pizzas?" I asked, motioning toward the kitchen. Once we were in the room, I said, "Don't let the Doctor get to you. He gets protective sometimes."

"But he can't even get my damn name right," Matt argued. "He could at least do that."

"It took him a while to get Mickey's name right. So, going by that, the next regeneration should get yours right," I said, handing him a slice of pizza.

"The next one? The next one? Char, you said you were done with your traveling!" Matt exclaimed, nearly dropping the plate.

"I was joking," I said. "Look. I'm sorry if I scared you. I am done traveling."

Matt poured us some soda. "Still, if he asked, would you be able to resist one last adventure?" he asked. I couldn't respond right away and he moved into the living room. Reluctantly, I followed, lost in my thoughts.

The Doctor remained in our living room that night. "Perhaps I can stay the night too," Matt said, watching the Doctor go through my Dad's library.

"Go home. The Doctor isn't going to jump me the moment your back is turned," I said. I heard the Doctor make a sound of disbelief. "See? There's nothing between us. I love you. Go. Home."

With a gentle push, I got rid of my loving boyfriend and then hurried my father to bed. "But I'm sure I could use some of Allan's knowledge," the Doctor protested.

Dad almost responded but I cut him off. "No," I said, "you've fallen asleep in that chair enough times. You're sleeping in your own bed. You can help the Doctor tomorrow."

"There are times I don't know who's the parent—me or her," Dad told the Doctor, eliciting a laugh from the Time Lord. "Well, I'm off to bed. 'Night, Doctor."

"Night, Professor," the Doctor replied, before wincing. I made a mental note of it as I bid my father goodnight. "Well, no need for you to stay up either. Get some rest," the Doctor said, holding a large tome. "I'll be fine."

I nodded and went to my room. If the Doctor asked, would I be able to refuse him? Would I give up the chance to run across time and the universe? Leave behind Dad, Matt and security for the unknown and the unsafe again?

_

* * *

__The Doctor and I had ran as far as we could, but those Oziatians were everywhere. They caught us and threw us into a dank cellar that was a poor imitation of a prison. "You will be brought before a judge as soon as we can set up a court," the general said. "And then tried for your crimes."_

_"Do we get a lawyer?" I asked, sitting in a corner. Water was dripping in from somewhere, creating a little puddle in front of me. The general slimed his way out of the room. "I guess that's a no. You wouldn't happen to know Oziatian law, would you?"_

_"A little," he replied, sitting down next to me. "Usually cases are heard before the king, so I'm not sure what type of court they'd set up for this."_

_"Well, you said that Oziatia is a popular destination for vacations. Maybe they picked something up off their tourists."_

_"Perhaps," the Doctor replied, in that absent-minded way. _

_A grunt came down to the cellar. "We are ready for you," he said, motioning us to follow. I tried not to laugh, but there was something funny about an amoeba holding a machine gun. He led us into a large room with a high ceiling, painted in dark reds and oranges. Pillows were tossed about the room, which were used as seats by various Oziatians. Female Oziatians wore purple netting over their eyes. The whole set up reminded me of something out of Arabian Nights. And that was not a comforting thought. _

_The Oziatian general sat on a golden pillow, with a female wearing black mesh across her eyes. She must be the queen widow, I realized. "I, General Lareneg, have called this assembly on behalf of Queen Neeuq upon the death of our beloved King Gnik." _

_I looked at the Doctor. "Are the names just the backwards spelling of their titles?"_

_"Pretty much," the Doctor whispered. "It's how they decide what their future job is." _

_"So I could give birth and name my child Gnik?" I asked. _

_"Nonsense," the General boomed. "Our names our chosen by the Mighty Head. He decides everything._

_"Now, you stand accused of killing our king. How do you plead?"_

_"It was an accident!" the Doctor said. "I can't control where my ship lands!"_

_"A pilot who can't control his own ship? You expect me to believe such nonsense?" the Queen asked, turning a pale shade of red. _

_"He can't," I answered. _

_"Stop lying!" she yelled, turning a darker red. _

_"Oh yes, because I'm lying to hide the fact I saw the king and decided, 'Hmm, that's a great landing spot.' Indeed!"_

_"So you admit it!" the General barked. _

_"No! He was being sarcastic! DOCTOR!" I yelled shaking him. "They are going to kill us now!"_

_"It didn't matter what we said, they were going to kill us anyway." The Doctor was now absolutely livid, a sign he felt there was a great injustice. "This was all a crock, just a formality so that they can tell the Shadow Proclamation we were given a fair trial. How many others have you condemned to death without hearing their side of the story?"_

_"Silence! You are confessed murders and therefore no longer have the right to address this assembly. You will be returned to the prison while we decide an appropriate death sentence for you. May the Mighty Head have mercy on your souls!" _

_The Doctor and I remained there, but the Oziatian grunts began poking us with the butts of their rifles. As funny as it looked before, now it terrified me. We returned to the cellar; I was near tears. I collapsed in my corner, watching the puddle continue to grow. There were no windows, but I realized the water had to come from somewhere. I began to investigate and noticed it came from a loose piece of wood. I fiddled with it and a trap door opened down, startling me. I ended up in the puddle, but I got the Doctor's attention. _

_"Charlotte, you're brilliant!" he said, looking up into the empty room. "Here, I'll give you a leg up." _

* * *

My alarm clock blared whatever the latest pop song was, disturbing me from my memory. "Good morning!" the Doctor chirped as I shuffled into our living room.

"Ugh," I replied. "How can you be so chipper in the morn…DID YOU HAVE COFFEE?"

"Your father had to leave for an early morning and made a pot," the Doctor said. "He said he loved you and this is a great brew. What is it?"

"Caffeinated. Anyway, I've got to get ready for work."

"No, you don't. I called Cal and he said you're working with me to find out what's going on," the Doctor replied. "It's out there, I can feel it."

And so he dragged me across four of the five boroughs of New York City by the late afternoon. Every time, each place panned out. "Doctor, something's wrong. Perhaps you banged the Tardis console one too many times?" I asked.

"Nonsense, something is trying to throw us off," the Doctor said, leaning over a railing. I was eating a Nathan's hot dog and watching the aging rides of Coney Island. "But why?"

"Well, it would be kinda bad for them if minutes after arriving, you just burst in, spout some nonsense and shut down their whole operation…whatever it may be. Wanna bite?"

"No, no. I need to think," he said. "What would cause…What are you eating?" he asked, staring at my hand.

"A hot dog," I replied, holding up…something that wasn't a hot dog. "Err, I don't know now. I'm pretty sure I bought a hot dog."

The Doctor picked up my snack, taking a bite. He spit it out. "It's a hot dog again," he replied, handing it back to me.

"Toss it, I'm suddenly not hungry."

"No, no, keep it, don't eat it. We're going to use it to examine what's going on!" the Doctor said. "Come on!"

We raced back to the Tardis, still parked in the middle of Central Park. Tourists were taking pictures of it. "Oi, step away from my big blue box," the Doctor said to some Korean tourists. Korean dad looked a bit affronted and Midwest Mom who had been lurking about, waiting for her turn to get pictures of the kids with the big blue box, slunk away. The Doctor grabbed my half-eaten meal and started analyzing it the moment we stepped inside the Tardis.

"Alright, it'll take a minute or so," the Doctor said, as a knock came to the doors. "Oh bugger, New York's Finest…or is it Bravest?"

"NYPD is New York's Finest."

"Ahh, right. Lose him."

"Yes, sir," I said, mock saluting him. He was about to say something. "I know, I know. No saluting." I turned and opened the door. "Is there a problem, officer?"

The officer smiled. "It seems that there have been reports of not only this being parked here without permit from the city, but that a grumpy British man is living inside it," he said.

"I am not grumpy!" the Doctor argued from inside.

"May I come in?" the officer asked, trying to push past me. I blocked him. "NYPD, let me in."

I pulled out my ID. "UNIT and I'm afraid I can't. The Doctor is an agent working with us. This is his office, of sorts, and therefore can't be moved."

"Talk with the nice officer later," the Doctor replied, "I've picked up the signal from the hot dog. We're off to Staten Island!" He burst out the door, smiled at the officer and then started running down the path.

"Sorry, officer. Just call UNIT, they'll straighten it all up," I said, taking off after the Doctor. "Wait up! The train to the ferry is the other way! Doctor, you're heading uptown!"

* * *

It had been ages since I last rode the ferry. I never really had any reason to go to Staten Island, but since the ride was free, I just rode it for the views. It was twenty-five calming minutes with gorgeous views of the harbor, Liberty Island, Jersey City and, of course, Manhattan. This ride was no different. The sun was setting, casting a glow around the cities as they turned on their brilliant lights. Reds and oranges decorated the sky as the sun set. A sea breeze played with a piece of my hair, now loose from the ponytail I had put it in so many hours ago.

"Are you going to tell me where we are going?" The Doctor didn't respond; he seemed mesmerized by the view as well. "Doctor?"

"You know, sometimes I move so fast that I forget how beautiful Earth is sometimes," the Doctor said. "And there are moments like this I remember why I keep coming back here."

"Why did you come back?"

"Are you having memory problems? I told you…"

"That you wanted to make sure I wasn't screwed up," I supplied. "Yes, but after talking with Sarah Jane, I know that's not how you operate. You usually leave us and don't return unless we bump into you. What was so bad that you had to seek me out?"

The Doctor didn't respond and I realized I had triggered one of his angst moments. His eyes always grew darker when that happened, he became sullen and all 1000 years of his life seem to appear on his face. "I'm sorry, if you don't want…" He walked away as I leaned back on the bench. So much for a relaxing trip.

"The ferry will be docking soon…" A voice droned the safety instructions, but I was lost. The Doctor was confusing me. Not that that was a surprise, but there had to be another reason why he had come back. He did leave us all in the end, no matter what we try to delude ourselves into believing.

_

* * *

__"He can't have forgotten us," Martha said, anxiously fiddling with her servant garb. "Can he?"_

_"Yes, he can. You have his memories, silly," I replied, making Mr. Smith's bed. "Look, Martha, we're going to have to make plans on how to return home. I know how to fly the Tardis insomuch as I can get us back to 2007."_

_"Don't talk like that!" Martha yelled at me. _

_"Like what?"_

_"Like we've been abandoned." _

_"Newsflash Martha, we have. The Doctor's forgotten about us and doesn't seem interested in resuming his old life. Not when he has a chance of love in this one," I said, hands on my hips. "Besides, he leaves us all eventually."_

_Martha shook her head in disbelief. "You're insane. He doesn't just leave," she said. "He didn't just leave Rose did he?"_

_I ignored the tone her voice took when she said my friend's name. "That was a different situation. She left us rather unwillingly. But he left Sarah Jane. And I've seen him leave Jack," I explained. _

_"Sarah who? Jack?" Martha looked lost. _

_"Never mind, you'll probably never meet them."_

_"Oi, don't get all high and mighty on me." _

_"I'm not. I'm just telling you the truth."_

_"That the Doctor will leave me? Are you still upset that I 'disrespected' Rose? Or are you jealous that the Doctor is already leaving you?"_

_I fought back tears at that last statement._

* * *

The Doctor touched my shoulder as I realized we had docked. We got off with everyone else and then met with a fellow UNIT agent to use his company car. "Thanks, Jeff," I said. "Enjoy the ride back to Manhattan." He nodded and left. "Now you have to tell me where we're going. I'm driving."

"Just get in and get us on Hylan Boulevard. We're driving clear across the island," the Doctor said.

_

* * *

__"Well, we escaped the jail, how do we escape death?" I asked the Doctor as we reached the edge of the Oziatian village. _

_"We go to the source. We go see the Mighty Head," he responded. "And we're going clear across the wheat field to get there."_

_"And will we pick up the Tin Man and the Scarecrow too?" _

_"You know, sometimes I forget how sarcastic you can be." _

_The Doctor and I continued to push our way through the wheat fields. "Hey, didn't we park around here?" I asked. "Can't we just skip meeting the Mighty Head and the revelation it's just some old guy behind a curtain? Can we just get out of here?" _

_"The Mighty Head isn't an old guy behind a curtain," the Doctor said. "He is a wizard from a very wise planet stuck in an intergalactic warp."_

_"Huh, that sounds oddly familiar." _

_"Anyway, we need to speak with him. He's the only one who can set things straight with the Oziatians," the Doctor said. "Besides, General Lareneg had the Oziatians move my Tardis to his palace. I overheard him give the orders. These Oziatians are stronger than they look."_

_"They look something I observed in my bio lab." _

_"Well you know, compared to some species, humans aren't all that much to look at either," the Doctor replied. "Are you done arguing now?"_

_"Depends. Are we at the Mighty Head yet?"_

_"No."_

_"Then I'm not done…wait a minute, either there's an echo or we have company," I said, listening. The Doctor and I stopped for a minute, but we heard something coming towards us. The war cries sent blue birds flying around us. "Oh crap!"_

_The Doctor and I ran through the fields, but the Oziatians were close behind us. Golden stalk after golden stalk flew in my face as we raced away. An Oziatian came up behind me. It reached out an appendage. I fell backwards, gold all I could see. "I caught the female!" I heard someone yell. The gold became black. "Stand up!" _

_"Leave her alone!" the Doctor yelled, his face replacing the black. "I steered the ship, take me instead!" _

_"She was with you. You both shall die."_

_"ENOUGH!" a voice boomed from above me. "LET HER UP!" The black gave way to gold. I was roughly lifted up, facing a giant floating head in the sky. It was of an aqua color with dark black sockets for the eyes. "ENOUGH OF THIS! I BRING YOU A SURPRISE!" An Oziatian wiggled out between two golden stalks. _

_"Your majesty!" Lareneg exclaimed. "King Gnik is alive! Praise the Mighty Head!"_

_The Oziatians began worshipping the Mighty Head. "I'm confused," I said. "Why is the King still alive?"_

_"Well, it's not like there are any bones for him to break and Oziatians can hold their breath for up to an hour. He probably popped right back up when they moved the Tardis," the Doctor said. _

_"Did you know that?"_

_"That he'd pop back up…well...no, I forgot."_

_"Great, can we go now?"_

_"Absolutely," the Doctor said. "Thank you, Mighty Head. May we have our big blue box back?"_

_"YES!" The Mighty Head nodded and the Tardis was pushed before us. _

* * *

"We're here!" the Doctor said, revealing a large colonial style home before us. It was a stone building that just emanated an aura of history. "The Conference House?" I read the nearby sign. But the Doctor was already running around the property with some device he rigged in the car. I decided to go talk with some people from the house.

The Doctor leaned dejectedly on the car when I saw him again. "Didn't find anything?" I asked.

"No," he said, frustrated. "Have you been experiencing any odd episodes since I arrived?"

"Just that thing with the hot dog," I responded. "But I've been talking with the people inside. Turns out this house was used early in the revolution for a meeting between Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Edward Routledge and some British officers. They tried to negotiate a peaceful end to the war."

"Yes, it was brilliant negotiating. That's what you want to do with UNIT, right? I should take you back there so you can observe…oh, oh…" The Doctor smiled. "I think I got it. Besides time slowing down, you mentioned some weird electric activity, right?"

"Yeah."

"And the thing with the database, right?"

"Right."

"Anything else?"

"Well, there was moment I thought my boyfriend was going to buy me fish and chips, but it was probably due to too much sun. Why?"

"I think we need to go a bit further to discover the cause of all this. We need to go to the 1770s!" The Doctor exclaimed. "You studied history in school, right? Yes, I know you did. That's why the Tardis wouldn't let me leave. She knew I would need you. So, Charlotte Martin, up for another adventure?"

I stood speechless. I had promised Matt I was done with my journeys and with the Doctor. But could I refuse him now that he needed my help? Could I put the hurt behind from my departure? I turned away for a bit, trying to gather my thoughts. I looked up at a nearby flag pole. There, flying proudly against the twilight sky, was a Union flag. Time slowed down again as I watched each inch of cloth move in the wind. As it did, it transformed back into the stars and stripes.

I turned back to the Doctor, who was still waiting for my response.

* * *

A/N: I'm back! Summer may be over, but I love the autumn. Anyway, the Conference House does exist and everything stated is true. If you have any questions, quibbles or anything else to say, don't hesitate to review. I do respond! Mac


	6. Captain Jack Harkness

Chapter 5: Captain Jack Harkness

"Charlotte?" Matt asked, peering at my door. "Are you alright? You and the Doctor have been quiet since you two got back."

I groaned into my pillow, blocking out the light that invaded my darkened room. Matt was right. The drive back from Staten Island had been quiet—on my part at least. The Doctor kept rambling on about various things—construction of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, the aliens living in Corona Park in Brooklyn, the fact the Brooklyn Bridge scam was intergalactic. I floated in and out of the conversation. I hadn't answered his question back at the Conference House; rather, I hurried the Doctor back into the car. I needed time to think.

I heard Matt tread across the floor before feeling the bed dip slightly. "Char, do you need anything?" he asked softly, probably concerned I had a headache.

I sat up, probably looking a fright. "I need to talk to you."

"Uh oh," Matt replied. "That is never a good answer."

"Sorry, it's just…The Doctor has discovered something about my odd time occurrences."

"So, they weren't because your sugar levels were low."

"I wish," I replied, laughing. "No, he thinks that something's going on, back in the 1770s. And…"

"And you're going with him."

"Yes! Wait, no! I mean…I haven't given him an answer yet." I took his hand in mine. "I think this is something we need to decide together."

"Well, I thank you for that. So, do you want to go?"

"I don't know. Part of me's like, 'Where's the Tardis?' But the other's like, 'Not again.'"

Matt sat there, watching me. "Would it be permanent?"

"I…I don't know," I replied. "He didn't say. He just asked if I was ready for another adventure."

"Well, it's up to you. However, I will say I'll support you if it's just a one-time trip. If it turns out you get dropped off a year from now with ten million stories…"

"How about if I got dropped off tomorrow with twenty million stories?"

"Very funny, Charlotte," he replied. "You know what I mean."

"Yes," I said. "I think I need to sleep on it. And you should go get some rest as well."

"Perhaps I can just crash here," Matt whispered.

"I'd say yes, but the Doctor has the couch," Dad answered, walking in.

"Like he's using it. He doesn't sleep much," I answered. However, Dad gave me a look. "Sorry, Matt, be careful on the subway. Okay?"

He kissed my cheek, nodded to my father and left the apartment. "Have a good night, Mike!" I heard the Doctor yell.

"It's Matt!" The door slammed shut.

My father chuckled a bit before sitting down on my bed. "So, a bit confused are we?" he asked.

"Just a little," I admitted. "What do you think I should do?"

"That really isn't my decision, is it?"

"That's no help," I deadpanned. He chuckled, kissing my head. "Looks like I have a lot of thinking to do."

"Well, I was thinking more of sleeping on it. It'll be healthier." Dad stood up, running a hand through his hair. "Good night, Charlotte."

"Night, Dad. And no reading! Straight to bed!" I ordered, pulling out my pajamas. He chuckled again and left, closing the door.

In the dark, I curled up under my blankets. Thoughts raced through my head. Memories of my time in the Tardis—the good, the bad and the downright tragic. Promises made to my dad, to Matt. My job. My friends. My life.

But there was still the adventure, no matter what that adventure was…

* * *

_The Tardis had materialized in a dark alley. We were chasing a distress signal through time and space. The Doctor had gone inside an underground club just before Rose disappeared. I stood in the cold alley, feeling nervous. I clutched my jacket closer, trying to ignore my surroundings. Fed up, I decided to distract myself. It was time to figure out where we were. And when. _

_A newspaper blew to my feet. Picking it up, I hoped it would help solve my query. January 20__th__, 1941, London Times. I sucked in air quickly. London in the Second World War was a dangerous place to be. I panicked, looking around to spot either the Doctor or Rose. They couldn't just leave me here, in the middle of the war zone! Could they? _

_A shrill alarm sounded through the city. Air-raid sirens, I recognized. Panicking, I tucked the newspaper under my arm and ran. My history classes came flashing into my mind, recalling the areas Londoners would use as bomb shelters if on the street during an air raid. I needed to find a Tube station and fast…_

* * *

It seemed I hardly closed my eyes when the alarm blared out some rap song. I just snuggled deeper in the covers—where the Doctor, where UNIT, where Matt, where Dad, where rap didn't exist. It was just me, warmth and sleep. "CHARLOTTE! Will you stop that infernal racket!" Dad yelled, storming in. He was not one for rap.

He turned off my alarm. "Come on, Sunshine, up and at 'em." I groaned. "Time to face the day."

"Tell the day it won. I surrender!"

"Charlotte, get out of bed, get dressed and face your problems. Hiding won't help." I heard Dad walk toward the door. "NOW."

I walked into the kitchen, my bad mood hanging over me like a dark cloud. "Good morning, Charlotte…Charlotte? Are you okay?" The Doctor looked concerned but I didn't care as I searched the cabinets for something to eat. "Charlotte?"

"Doctor, BUGGER OFF!" I yelled. "I am NOT in the mood. And it's ALL YOUR fault!"

I think I startled the Doctor. I wasn't a morning person, but I was at least civil when I awoke. But for now, I couldn't deal with him and what his presence meant. I continued to search the cabinets and listened as the sound of his converses on the tiled floor muted upon hitting the rug. I could hear him slip onto the balcony, figuring a sheet of glass would protect him from my wrath. I made myself something to eat, poured some coffee and flipped on the morning news. I didn't care which one—as long as someone else's talking would drown out the war raging in my head. I wanted to enjoy one meal in bliss.

I already knew my choice; it had come during the night. Now, I had to figure out how to tell everyone about my decision.

I chose to tell Dad and Matt at the same time, at lunch. Somehow, I felt the Doctor already knew my answer. "You really scared the Doctor this morning," Dad said by way of a greeting. "He came outside and was nervous."

"He's a bit high-strung," I replied.

"I am not high-strung," Matt insisted sitting down. "How am I high-strung?"

"You're not high-strung, the Doctor is. You're just paranoid," I informed him, placing the white napkin on my lap.

I looked up as Matt began to protest. The air stopped moving. As I struggled to take a breath, Dad and Matt were frozen as if in a paused movie. It was as if I was able to see everything, every particle of the water being poured at the table next to me. I wondered if this is what Rose saw when she became Bad Wolf. Though everything was paused, I felt everything begin to shake as if in an earthquake. I tried to clutch the table but couldn't move my arms. It was worse than the last time. The shaking was making me nauseous. I still couldn't breathe. I noticed in the window a little ball of light. I stared at it, watching it increase in size. As it engulfed the room, the shaking stopped.

"Charlotte? Charlotte, are you okay?" Dad asked. He was suddenly above me, looking very concerned.

"Do I need to call an ambulance, sir?" A waiter hovered above me, glancing down at me every so often. He looked panic-stricken.

"I don't need an ambulance. I need some air," I replied. "So, let me stand up and get some." Dad, Matt and the waiter looked at each other than down at me. "I'm on the floor, aren't I?"

The three nodded. "I don't think we should move you," a nearby waitress said. I slowly turned my head, noticing several feet by it. "I really wish you would let me call an ambulance. Have you looked at by a doctor."

"Well, then it's a good thing I'm here," I heard the Doctor say. He joined the group above me. "Had a little accident, did we?"

"Shut up and help me stand!"

"Oh, first have to make sure nothing's broken," he said, kneeling down. He felt around, his face coming rather close to mine. "You had another episode again, didn't you?" he whispered.

"Yeah, only this time I passed out…obviously."

The Doctor pulled away. "This woman is in my care for a chronic condition which has acted up," he explained to the waiting staff. "She can be moved, nothing's injured. Nothing to worry about."

"Are you sure?" the waiter asked, while the waitress shuffled on her feet. "My manager says that if someone needs medical attention…"

"She's getting medical attention," the Doctor replied. I could hear the frustration rise in his voice. I could almost see his eyes get darker and his face tighten up in anger. "I've got her."

"Technically, I've got her," Matt replied.

"Mitch, not helping," the Doctor snapped back.

"IT'S MATT!" He roughly scooped me up, causing me to let out a surprised squeak. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths—my stomach was tossing as if it were the sea in a storm. I didn't think it would stay down for long.

"Daddy," I groaned, clutching my stomach.

"Doctor, she's sick, drop it," my father snapped, recognizing my tone. "Let's get her home so we can take better care of her. These fine people don't need this scene in the middle of lunch."

"Good point, Allan," the Doctor said. "Sorry to interrupt your meal! Enjoy! Is that pâté?" I groaned louder. "Sorry, right, right. Patient. Got to go."

I buried my head into my father's shoulder. Passing out wasn't my favorite activity, especially when the Doctor was involved.

* * *

_I ran through the streets of London, praying I would find a Tube station before the bombs started to fall. I could hear the rumble of the planes getting louder, getting closer. My breathing was labored, my legs on fire, but I wouldn't stop. I couldn't stop. As much as I loved history, I didn't want to experience it this close. _

_I felt the explosion before I heard it, the first bomb hitting London soil. The vibrations caused me to stumble but the resulting sound knocked me down. I cursed the fact I had decided to wear a skirt—a rather poofy one at that—and noticed the giant hole now adorning my black tights. I didn't have time to worry about the blood starting to ooze through the tears in my skin. Picking myself up, I scanned the area. A brick building loomed in the distance, offering hope—or at least the chance of a bomb shelter on the premises. I took off running toward it. _

_As I approached the door, all I could feel was the pain in my chest. Breathing was getting harder and hard to do and I stumbled onto the threshold. Spots danced before my eyes, getting larger and larger until all I saw was darkness._

_I wasn't sure how long I was unconscious. I woke up on a bed, covered in a white sheet. Propping myself up with my elbow, I scanned the beds. They were hospital beds with people lying in them, motionless. I prayed that this didn't mean I was in the morgue. I studied the bodies frantically, trying to spot some sign of life. No chests rose, no limbs twitched. A gas mask covered their faces. I reached out a shaky hand, wanting to feel for a pulse. _

_"Don't touch him!" I looked up to see an older gentleman limp into the room, supported by a cane. He wore a white coat and I figured he must be the doctor. _

_"Who are you? Where am I?"_

_The elderly gentleman limped into the room. "I am Dr. Constantine, I'm in charge of this hospital," he said, sitting down. "You're lucky to have escaped the bombs."_

_The night was again quiet, not a single sound emanated from the streets. I slid out of bed, looking around. "What's wrong with them? Did they die in bomb explosions?" I asked. _

_"They aren't dead," Dr. Constantine responded, "not exactly. I just can't explain what's wrong. I don't think anyone can."_

_"I think I know someone who can," I thought. _

* * *

"Today sucks," I said, hugging my pillow. I was back in my pajamas and under my covers. "You made me leave. I knew I shouldn't." I glared at Dad, sitting next to me.

"That isn't going to work. You getting sick had nothing to do with getting out of bed. You know deep down that you'd have gotten sick even if you were still curled up underneath the blankets."

"But the thing is why are you still getting these episodes?" Matt asked, staring at the Doctor.

"Just because I arrive doesn't mean everything gets magically solved," the Doctor said. "Well, not right away at least."

"It usually gets a hell of a lot worse before it gets magically solved by him shouting some indecipherable nonsense," I replied, ducking from the pillow the Doctor threw at me.

"Children!" Dad grabbed the pillow as the Doctor snorted. "Fighting isn't going to solve anything. So, Doctor, will my daughter going with you stop her episodes?"

"Most likely. She'll be closer to the source, so if they happen, it won't be as bad. Plus, she'll be with me," he explained.

"So, it's decided," Matt said. "You should go with him, Charlotte."

"She was going to anyway," the Doctor replied.

"Yeah, that was what lunch was for," I explained. "When do you want to leave?"

"Tomorrow. Rest up."

Everything seemed to be happening so fast, I noted as the men in my life left the room. Of course, once the Doctor entered the picture, time seemed to speed up rather than slow down. By this time tomorrow, I would be hurtling toward (hopefully) the 1770s, the Doctor smiling at me while I clutched on for dear life. But I knew I had to do it. The time episodes could either start affecting other people or get worse for me.

Matt escorted me to the TARDIS the next day. "Wanna come in?" I asked. "Though, remember, it's a lot bigger on the inside than it appears." He nodded as I opened the door, allowing him access to the Doctor's domain. I rushed in before him though—I loved the expression on everyone's face when they first walk in.

A wonderful blend of awe and incredulity—that's how I've always described it. And it was all on my boyfriend's face. His grey eyes were wide in wonder, mouth agape in disbelief. He clutched the railing, trying to look at the entire inside. Something stirred inside and I started to giggle uncontrollably. "What?" he asked me, the amazed expression still on his face. I skipped over to him, almost running, and kissed him. When we broke apart, he looked at me. "What was that for?"

"I don't know," I said, laughing. "I just felt like kissing you."

"You are absolutely giddy. I like you giddy," he replied, hugging me. "Maybe you being back in the TARDIS isn't all bad." He kissed the tip of my nose. "Come on, show me the rest of the ship."

"That wouldn't be wise," I replied, twisting out of his embrace. "It's big. So big, I haven't really been everywhere. I got lost going to my room and I was on board for…how, bugger, how long?"

"I don't know how you could've kept time while aboard here."

"Well, that's what the calendar is for! Come on," I said, grabbing his hand. I ran with him down a short corridor off the bridge. "Rose marked everything down and I kept it up after she left. My arrival date should be on here and the last mark is my departure."

As I flipped through the calendar, I noted all the special dates marked off. Rose's birthday. Mickey's birthday. My birthday. Jack's birthday(s). I found where Rose wrote "Charlotte joins the crew!" and flipped through till I found "Charlotte leaves." Two years. I was on board for two calendar years. It certainly didn't feel that long.

I turned around, but was surprised to see a frown on Matt's face. "What's the matter?" I asked. He didn't reply, so I decided to look at what he was so focused on. It was the TARDIS rules—ones the Doctor came up with when we companions started doing something he didn't like.

I scanned the rules, spotting the usual. "The sonic screwdriver is not to be used to open any locked doors on board—they are probably locked for a reason" or "Thou shalt not curse the banana." I couldn't spot what had upset my boyfriend so until I found an old rule, now quite prominently displayed. I mentally slapped myself for missing it.

"No hanky-panky on the TARDIS," it read, in big bold letters. "That means you Jack." My stomach sank. "And you, Charlotte."

"Shit," I said, dread filling my stomach. The one thing I never wanted Matt to learn was written in big, black marker letters. "I can explain…"

"Who is Jack? I recall the Doctor, Rose, Martha, Jackie and a Mickey, but no Jack." Matt's voice was steady, calm. At that moment, I think I would rather him yelling.

"Jack…Well, Jack tricked us into going to World War Two London. But he then was willing to sacrifice his life so Rose and I convinced the Doctor to let him onboard," I explained, quickly. "And he stayed with us for some time until we fought these Daleks."

"What happened after that?"

"We, um, left him behind. The Doctor said he had an important job to do!"

"Or because you were done with him?"

I could feel the hot tears rolling down my face. "It wasn't like that at all!" I explained. "We were over before we left him!"

"Oh, so you were with him!"

"I never denied it!"

"So, you were in love with him?" Matt asked. "Am I just the consolation prize?"

"Matt, you were never the consolation prize. It was an…odd situation," I tried to explain. "I love you. Jack was…a mistake, he was a pretty face and…I do love you, Matt…"

Words failed me. How do you explain Jack Harkness? Especially if you were too busy cursing the moment you met him?

_

* * *

__The Doctor had made it to the hospital, meeting Dr. Constantine. In a horrific scene I would never forget, we watched the strange illness overtake the kind doctor. "What do we do?" I asked the Doctor. _

_"We find Rose and then we find the source," he replied. "Have you seen her?"_

_"Not since you left us in that alleyway," I said. "Thanks for that. Did you know it was a war zone?"_

_"Not at the time. Not until the bombs were dropping. I tried to get to you two…Did you two see anything before Rose disappeared?"_

_"Not really…I wasn't paying attention," I admitted. "I did hear someone ask for their mummy. It sounded like a child. Perhaps she went off to help him or her?"_

_The Doctor smiled. "That would be Rose," he replied. "Come, let's see if we can find the cause of this affliction."_

_As we began our search of the hospital, a familiar voice caught my ear. I turned to view the nearest hallway and was relieved to see that damned Union flag shirt the Doctor and I had teased her about. "ROSE!"_

_The Doctor materialized at my side. "Where have you been?" he asked her, before we both noticed the handsome man standing next to her. "And who's he?"_

_"Captain Jack Harkness," he replied. "And you must be Mr. Spock," he said, sticking out his hand. When the Doctor didn't take it, Jack withdrew his and turned to me. "Rose didn't mention another female Time Agent." _

_I could feel the blush creeping up to my face and was certain I was now smiling like a goof. The Doctor, though, was not impressed. "Time Agent?" he asked incredulously. "Mr. Spock?"_

_"Yes, I told him we were authorized to make the trade with him," Rose said, further confusing us. However, I was too busy admiring Jack's eyes to really question her statement. _

* * *

"Charlotte!" Matt's voice snapped me back to reality. "Are you going to answer me?"

"What?"

"You didn't hear a word I said! You were thinking about him!"

"Maybe I was!" I replied, angrily. "But if you need me to tell you he meant nothing and that I love you, I've said it fifty times already!"

"I want to talk about this!"

"You mean you want to yell about this!" My voice was now echoing throughout the bridge. I grabbed his arm and began dragging. "I am not going to yell about it. So until you calm down, I am not going to discuss it. Period."

I pushed Matt back out into Manhattan. "Brilliant, Char, you're doing it again," he said. "You're avoiding the situation."

I slammed the Tardis door. It wouldn't have pleased my mother but it felt good. At that moment, I wanted to slam every door in the Tardis—no matter how many she had.

I ran down the closest hallway, not caring if I got lost in the infinite underbelly of the Tardis. Everything blurred together in my eyes as the tears flowed down my cheeks. My breath grew ragged as I ran, my sobs burning my lungs each time they came forth. I cursed Matt, I cursed Jack, I cursed the Doctor, I cursed Rose, I cursed myself, I cursed Nancy, I cursed the Germans, I cursed the entire universe. Sometimes, life just wasn't fair.

_

* * *

__"Just this once, Rose, everyone lives!" the Doctor announced, grinning like a maniac. It was so rare to see him smile like such that even I found myself grinning. _

_"What about Jack?" I asked, concerned for the rogue who had meshed well with out little team._

_"Yeah!" Rose agreed. "We can't just leave him out there with a bomb about to explode!"_

_The Doctor smiled. "I said that everyone lives and I mean everyone. Ladies?"_

_And so, a few hours later, Jack and I were tripping down the hallway. We were laughing and would've given the appearance of being drunk. "Where did you learn to dance like that?" I asked. _

_"A lot of alien bars," Jack replied, laughing. "I've been around the universe once or twice."_

_"You'll have to tell me about that sometime."_

_"Of course, maybe during our dance lessons."_

_"Dance lessons?"_

_"Yes, you need them," he teased me. "The Doctor danced better than you."_

_"Perhaps if I had a better partner," I retorted. He laughed and kissed me. _

_"Good night, Charlotte Martin," he said, once the kiss was broken. I just stood there, staring. _

* * *

I don't know how I reached my room, but it was there I awoke. I felt tired still but I slid out of bed. I wanted to know if we had started our journey. I groggily made my way to the bridge; the path was second nature to me now. The Doctor stood at the console, tinkering away. The sounds usually drove me to constantly have my iEar on during traveling, but today it was oddly comforting. "Are we on our way, then?" I asked.

The Doctor gave me a sideways glance. He knew Matt and I had fought, but he wouldn't ask. He didn't do domestics but I'd probably tell him eventually. We told each other everything. In a way, he was the brother I never had. It was funny that I'd say something of the sort about a 900-something year old time traveling alien.

"We are," he said. "Hopefully we'll arrive where we want to go. You know the Tardis."

"The girl has a way of taking exactly where we need to be. I'm not worried."

"I think it's the sleep talking."

"Come on, Doctor, don't you trust your own ship?"

"I trust her," he replied. "I also know her."

"Come on, make me a banana daiquiri while we wait. I'm oddly in the mood for one," I said, hoping the alcohol would bring some comfort. The Doctor smiled as we walked, arms linked, to the kitchen.

* * *

A/N: It's been so long! But it's for a good reason--I got a job! So, my writing schedule and juices got a little messed up as my body adjusted to the new schedule. Also, I started volunteering at the place I mentioned in my last chapter, the Conference House. If you're in the New York City area, go visit it! You may have me as your tour guide! Once again, thanks goes to Araiona Dubois for her amazing beta-ing skills. Happy 4th of July and enjoy chapter 5! Mac


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